Toronto FC Academy’s U-18 and U-16 teams are set to compete at the Generation adidas (GA) Cup from Saturday, April 12 to Sunday, April 20, at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The 2025 GA Cup is the largest MLS NEXT tournament to date, which features 80 teams that represent 14 countries and four continents. The GA Cup will have the participation of MLS NEXT Academies, along with 18 international clubs and four MLS NEXT Elite Academies (non-MLS academies), which qualified via their performance at MLS NEXT Fest in December 2024.
TFC Academy’s U-18 team was drawn into Group I alongside Houston Dynamo FC, Portland Timbers and Brazilian club Palmeiras. Led by Head Coach Dino Lopez and Assistant Coach Dejan Jakovic, the U-18s kick off the tournament against international club Palmeiras on Saturday, April 12, with a scheduled start time of 4:30 p.m. ET. The team will then shift their focus to Houston Dynamo FC on Sunday, April 13, followed by a match against Portland Timbers on Monday, April 14, with both games scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. ET.
“GA Cup is highlighted on our calendar each year as it's the premier tournament in North America with seven high quality games over nine days,” said U-18 Head Coach Dino Lopez. “It gives us an opportunity to test our Academy talent against top academies worldwide, and our game model against different styles of play.”
Under the leadership of TFC’s U-16 Head Coach Paul Stalteri and Assistant Coach Nikola Stakic, the U-16s was drawn into Group J with Chicago Fire FC, Colorado Rapids and Japanese club FC Tokyo. The U-16’s will open group play against FC Tokyo on Saturday, April 12, at 12:00 p.m. ET, marking the first time the TFC Academy will play a Japanese team. Similarly to the U-18 schedule, the U-16s will play on Sunday, April 13, against Chicago Fire FC and then Colorado Rapids on Monday, April 14, with both games slated for an 11:30 a.m. ET kickoff.
“GA Cup is a premier event for the Academy, and all our players are highly motivated to perform,” said U-16 Head Coach Paul Stalteri. “We are excited about the opportunity to compete against FC Tokyo, as well as two outstanding MLS opponents, Chicago and Houston, as they are teams we do not typically encounter in our regular schedule. The tournament presents a unique challenge, and I am confident that all the players are fully focused and committed to competing at the highest level.”
MLS NEXT announced the tournament broadcast schedule, which will livestream 28 matches including both age-groups championship games live on MLS’ YouTube page. Twelve pre-selected group-play games, including Toronto FC’s U-16s game against FC Tokyo on Saturday, April 12, will be available to stream live. The other streamed matches will include select games from the round of 16 and quarterfinals, while all semifinals and championship matches will be available via live stream.
Every team is guaranteed to play in seven 60-minute matches, while the championship game will be a 70-minute match in age groups. After group play, each team will either advance to the championship or consolation bracket. Any game that ends in a tie will go directly to a penalty-kick shootout.
Both age groups’ final rosters were selected earlier this week, which will see both teams travel with 20 athletes to the Sunshine State.
U-18 Roster
Reinaldo Abraham
Nathaniel Abraham
Justin Allevato
Antone Bossenberry
Will Caldwell
Emanuele Cappello
Quentin Christey
Richard Chukwu
Ty Clarke
Timothy Fortier
Hazim Kadib
Dominic Kantorowicz
Stefan Kapor
Joshua Nugent
Pablo Patrick Galvez
Spencer Potter
Shyon Pinnock
Obasi Thompson
Quinton Wilson
Dante Wright
U-16 Roster
Demitre Adamson
Devon Jr. Allen
Quinton Belfon
Tristan Blyth
John Chukwu
Daniel Eniang Olatunji
Kervon Kerr
Vincent Kopp
Elliott Lambakis
Benjamin Lowry
Jahsiah Mais
Matthias Olivares
Edwin Omoregbe
Christian Pitt
Nikolaj Puric
Ethan Reid
Devonte Simon
Khaleel Small
Tiago Viaes
Ty Williams
