Gayà to be the ambassador of the 5th VCF Academy World Cup

José Luis Gayà will be the ambassador of the 5th VCF Academy World Cup, a U12 tournament that from June 25 to 28 will bring together at the Ciudad Deportiva of Valencia CF 15 teams from the VCF Academy Programs that Valencia CF runs in America, Asia, Europe and Oceania, in a fifth edition of the tournament with a record number of participants and close to 250 players. 

"I hope you enjoy this experience very much, that it will be unforgettable, and that you have some fantastic days in Valencia," says Gayà in the special message he has addressed to the participants.

"I still remember all those tournaments in which I also took part when I was a child. I hope you have a great time and enjoy it very much," concludes the captain, who has signed a jersey that will be awarded to the tournament MVP.

Gayà joined the Valencia CF Academy at the age of 11, in the U12 category, the same age as the participants in this 5th VCF Academy World Cup. He progressed through the ranks until making his first-team debut in 2012 and becoming a true role model with more than 400 official appearances for Valencia CF, ranking among the top ten players with the most appearances in the Club's history and becoming a full international with Spain.

The player from Pedreguer is a role model for all children who aspire to play for Valencia CF, not only those from Valencia, but also the members of the different teams that Valencia CF has in America, Asia, Europe and Oceania through the VCF Academy Programs.

More than 220 children from different corners of the world will gather from June 25 to 28 at the Ciudad Deportiva of Valencia CF to enjoy a unique experience in which football and cultural exchange go hand in hand under the philosophy of the VCF Academy: Sentiment, Valentia i Germanor.

Over these five years, the VCF Academy World Cup has continued to grow in the number of participants and has become a must-attend event for young players from the VCF Academy Programs who, for one week, will turn the Ciudad Deportiva of Valencia CF into a small World Cup. They will also enjoy the city of Valencia and visit Mestalla, the stadium with the most history in LALIGA.

The 15 teams will compete over three days to win the VCF Academy World Cup and succeed Hungary's Dinamo Star SE as champions, joining an honours list that already includes FK Zalgiris Kaunas from Lithuania, Polisportiva Bruinese from Italy and Escoles VCF.

Los 15 equipos competirán durante tres días por conquistar una VCF Academy World Cup y suceder como campeón al Dinamo Star SE de Hungria e incorporarse a un palmarés en el que se han inscrito el FK Zalgiris Kaunas de Lituania, La Polisportiva Bruinese de Italia y Escoles VCF.

In addition to taking part in the 5th VCF Academy World Cup, the teams arriving from America, Asia and Oceania will complete a training stage beforehand at the Ciudad Deportiva of Valencia CF, where they will enjoy various training sessions and matches against clubs from the Escoles VCF programme.

Alongside the 5th VCF Academy World Cup, the week from June 22 to 28 will also feature Players Week, including the U14 Players Draft and the U16 Elite Camp, with a selection of players from the VCF Academy Programs present at the Ciudad Deportiva of Valencia CF.

The VCF Academy World Cup and Players Week, together with the VCF Camps, VCF Academies, technical partners, Coaches Convention, clinics and Training Experience programmes, are just some of the initiatives that make up the VCF Academy Programs, which every year bring together more than 5,000 players from over 50 countries.