FD Challenge Cup U-12 International Football Dream Cup 2026: A Preview of the Kyushu Tournament
The FD Challenge Cup U-12 International Football Dream Cup 2026, a significant event for youth football, is set to take place in Kyushu. This article provides an overview of the tournament, including participating teams, schedule details, and competition format.
Participating Teams
As of March 5, 2026, 27 teams have been confirmed to participate in the tournament. The teams include both domestic Japanese clubs and international sides from South Korea:
- Nagasaki Dream FC Junior (Nagasaki)
- BUDDY FC (Fukuoka)
- F.Cuore (Kagoshima)
- Seinan Football Club (Fukuoka)
- Taiyo Sports Club Kokubu (Kagoshima)
- Dream Kids FC (Oita)
- Daejeon P&S FC (South Korea)
- Incheon Southeast-gu LJ FC (Korea)
- DREAM CAM TOP TEAM (South Korea)
- CAOS FC (Osaka)
- LIBERTY FOOTBALL CLUB (Tokyo)
- EXE90FC (Osaka)
- Iwata Football Club (Osaka)
- AZR (Shiga)
- Club Dragons Kashiwa (Chiba)
- Grandeur FC (Wakayama)
- Fagiano Okayama (Okayama)
- JEF United Ichihara/Chiba (Chiba)
- Best Eleven FC (Korea)
- AFA cheong ju (Korea)
- God of soccer (Korea)
- Kagoshima United FC (Kagoshima)
- Roasso Kumamoto (Kumamoto)
- V. Varen Nagasaki (Nagasaki)
- Avispa Fukuoka (Fukuoka)
- Sagan Tosu (Saga)
Tournament Schedule and Format
The FD Challenge Cup 2026 is scheduled to run from April 3-5, 2026. The competition will follow a multi-stage format:
- 1st Qualifying Round: Teams will be divided into eight blocks of four teams each for a league stage.
- 2nd Qualifying Round: Based on the results of the first qualifying round, teams will again be placed into eight blocks of four teams for another league stage.
- Ranking Deciding Matches: The final stage will consist of ranking-deciding matches based on the results of the second qualifying round.
Match Details
- Preliminary Matches: Each match will be 30 minutes long, divided into two 15-minute halves with a 5-minute break.
- Tournament Matches: Tournament matches will also be 30 minutes long (15-minute halves with a 5-minute break). If no winner is determined after 30 minutes, a penalty shootout (3 players per team) will be held.
- Final Match: The final match will feature a 10-minute overtime period (5 minutes per half) if the score remains tied after regulation time.
Ranking Criteria
Rankings within the preliminary league will be determined by the following criteria, in order:
- Number of wins
- Goal difference
- Total points
- Head-to-head results between tied teams
- Lottery draw (if a winner cannot be determined)
In the event of a tie in tournament matches, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout (3 players per team).
Past Results
The FD Challenge Cup U-12 International Football Dream Cup 2025, held in Kumamoto Prefecture, saw Kashima Antlers emerge as the winners. Junior Soccer News provided coverage of the event.
Further Information
For the latest information on the FD Challenge Cup 2026, including regional details within Kumamoto Prefecture, please refer to the Kumamoto youth soccer cheering team website. You can also locate updates on the FOOTBALL DREAM CHALLENGE CUP instagram page and the FOOTBALL DREAM CHALLENGE CUP HP.