Miami (Friday, April 26, 2019) – The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (Concacaf) and Scotiabank today announced that Costa Rica will host the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Under-13 Champions League. The competition is set to take place August 10-17, 2019.

The 2019 edition of Concacaf’s youngest age tournament, to be played at the Costa Rican Football Federation, in San Jose, will be disputed in two stages, between 16 clubs. The tournament will kick off with a group phase. After round-robin play, the top two finishers in each group will advance directly to the round of 16, while the remaining clubs will continue play for final placement. 

“We are proud to host the Scotiabank Concacaf Under-13 Champions League for the first time in Costa Rica. Scotiabank has been a partner of Concacaf since 2014 and has played a major role in our efforts to grow club football,” said Concacaf General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “This tournament provides an opportunity for youth teams from around the region to play in a competition with high international standards.”  

The participating clubs for the 2019 Scotiabank Concacaf Under-13 Champions League are (in alphabetical order by Association): Montreal Impact (CAN), Vancouver Whitecaps (CAN), Club Comunicaciones FC (GUA), Mount Pleasant Academy (JAM), Pioneros de Cancun (MEX), Rayados Victoria (MEX), Chapulineros de Oaxaca (MEX), Guerreros de Coahuila (MEX), Managua FC (NCA), ADFA Santa Ana (SLV), San Juan Jabloteh (TRI) and Philadelphia Union (USA). The two participating clubs from the host nation, as well as the Panamanian and Honduran representatives will be confirmed at a later date, once their local championships conclude. 

“Scotiabank is proud to support this important tournament for the fifth year in a row, where young people from the Concacaf region can demonstrate their talent and passion for football” said Clinton Braganza, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of Scotiabank. “We believe that through sports initiatives such as the Scotiabank Concacaf Under-13 Champions League, we provide development opportunities for our future generations in the communities where we operate, demonstrating Scotiabank’s commitment to helping young people reach their infinite potential. Scotiabank continues supporting this sport through the Scotiabank Football Club Program, a global platform that promotes the values of leadership, respect, integrity, teamwork, discipline and responsibility. Since 2014, more than 450,000 young people benefited from the Scotiabank Football Club Program across the Americas”, he concluded. 

An official draw to sort the participating clubs into the groups for the first stage will take place on Tuesday, April 30, 2019. The live event will be held at 6:30 pm ET, at CF Monterrey stadium, in Monterrey, Mexico, ahead of the return leg final of the Scotiabank Champions League between Tigress UANL vs. CF Monterrey. Fans will be able to follow all the action through Concacaf.com. 

In the previous edition of the Scotiabank Concacaf Under-13 Champions League, hosted at the Mexican Football Federation Headquarters in Toluca, Mexico, Los Angeles FC topped Juniors Tampico 2-0 in the final, becoming the first team from the United States to win the competition.