Real Betis Balompié's youth academy won the X International LALIGA FC FUTURES tournament in Orlando. The youth team, coached by Lucas Ferrer, defeated River Plate 3-2 in a thrilling final on Sunday, October 4.
The match, played at ESPN Wide World of Sports, saw the Argentine side take an early lead with goals from Chaya and Fuentealba. The young Betis side fought back with a goal from Secano and a brace from Jasper, who completed the comeback in the 28th minute. Jasper, son of the Gibraltar national team coach and a recruit from two seasons ago, was one of the standout performers.
Tebas's recognition
LaLiga president Javier Tebas publicly congratulated the club on this achievement. "The future of football is built from the grassroots and LALIGA FC FUTURES is a showcase of the talent to come." he wrote on social media. This success bolsters the reputation of the verdiblanca academy, which had already won the Liga Futures U12 Club World Cup in Brunete last March.
The path to the title
To reach the final, Betis overcame Atlético de Madrid 2-1 in the semi-finals. On the other side of the draw, River Plate did the same against CR Flamengo. In the third-place match, Atlético defeated Sevilla FC 3-2. River Plate's Ian Pablo Fuentealba was named the tournament's MVP. The LALIGA FC FUTURES tournament brings together the top youth academies from clubs around the world and is a central event in LaLiga's strategy to project its brand and training methodology globally.
Club context
The first team, currently sitting third in La Liga with 16 points, is on a five-match unbeaten run. This youth triumph comes at a positive time for the club, which prepares to host Osasuna at the Benito Villamarín on October 11. Betis's board has repeatedly highlighted the strategic importance and high level of investment in its training structure, considered one of the most powerful in Spain.
Read the full report at ABC Deportes
