The Nationwide League One has announced a landmark Under-14 youth football tournament in Lagos, set to hold in January 2026, in partnership with Legacy Sports, LALIGA and EA Next Gen.
The competition, described as a major step towards transforming grassroots football, will feature 24 teams made up of 12 male and 12 female sides. It will take place at the Mobolaji Johnson Stadium, Onikan, from January 30 to February 1, 2026.
On the final day of the tournament, selected teams will face one local male team and one local female team, bringing the competition to its climax. From those matches, four male players and four female players will be selected, marking a key milestone in the LALIGA EA SPORTS Project supported by Legacy Sports and the Nationwide League One in Nigeria.
The initiative forms part of a wider global programme that will directly impact about 900 young players across Mexico, Japan, Nigeria, Morocco and China, before a final phase in Spain. Beyond talent identification, the organisers say the tournament will promote community engagement and the core values of football.
The project is embedded within EA SPORTS FC FUTURES, EA SPORTS’ global commitment to strengthening community football and creating pathways for young players.
As part of the build-up, LALIGA and EA SPORTS are set to unveil the global press release of the new edition of the Next Gen Draft on January 7, 2026. The programme is a pioneering international initiative that blends competition, elite training and cultural exchange to bring football closer to young people from diverse backgrounds.
The 2026 edition reinforces the commitment of both organisations to create real opportunities for the next generation, while expanding the global reach of the EA SPORTS FC FUTURES initiative.
In its second edition, the Next Gen Draft follows a clearly defined developmental pathway combining professional coaching methods, sporting assessment and education around personal values.
The programme is structured into four phases. The first phase, the FC Rush Tournament, is inspired by the EA SPORTS FC video game and features fast-paced 5v5 matches played over two seven-minute halves. More than 80 matches will be played in a single day, with official LALIGA coaches from Spain assessing players’ technical ability, vision, attitude and overall performance. At the end of this phase, 50 players, comprising 25 girls and 25 boys, will be selected.
The second phase, the FC FUTURES Academy Training, will see the selected players undergo tailored training sessions based on FC FUTURES best practices. The sessions will be led by UEFA Pro coaches using LALIGA’s official methodology, with the top 32 players, 16 girls and 16 boys, progressing to the next stage.
The third phase is the Final Match, where the remaining players will compete in a full 11-a-side fixture against a local team. After the match, four outstanding players from each gender will be chosen for a unique LALIGA experience in Spain. Selection will be based not only on performance but also on psycho-emotional qualities such as commitment, teamwork and perseverance.
The final phase, the LALIGA Experience in Spain, will take place between June and July. The finalists will travel to Spain with all expenses covered to join an elite group of 40 young talents from around the world. The experience will include professional training sessions with UEFA Pro coaches, friendly matches against youth teams from LALIGA EA SPORTS clubs, and exclusive activities designed to immerse the players in elite European football culture.
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