From October 15 to 18, 2026, Split will host the 22nd international football tournament Prvi Koraci, an event that has been gathering the top of European youth football for over two decades. During four days, hundreds of matches will be played, and young players from numerous countries will have the opportunity to showcase their talent in front of coaches, scouts, and football enthusiasts.

Special attention is drawn to the arrival of Manchester United, one of the greatest clubs in the history of world football. The English giant is coming to Split with the U14 generation (2013), and their performance will undoubtedly be one of the main events of the tournament.

The confirmation of the arrival of S.S. Lazio is also a great pleasure for the organizers. After last year's participation with the 2014 generation, the Roman giant is returning to Prvi Koraci, this time with the U10 generation (2017), continuing a successful collaboration with one of the most prestigious international tournaments in the region.

Continuity of arrivals is also confirmed by VfB Stuttgart, which will be part of the tournament for the third consecutive year. The Bundesliga team is coming this year with two generations – U13 (2014) and U11 (2016), which speaks volumes about the reputation that the Split tournament has gained among leading European academies.

The program begins on Thursday, October 15, with the arrival of teams and a ceremonial opening. The group stage will be played on Friday and Saturday, while on Sunday, October 18, the finals of all categories will be held, along with a ceremonial award ceremony for the best.

COMPETITION FORMAT

The tournament will feature six age categories:
U9 (2018) – 7 a side
U10 (2017) and U11 (2016) – 8 a side
U12 (2015), U13 (2014), and U14 (2013) – full football 11 a side

GRAND TOURNAMENT THAT BRINGS VALUABLE AFT POINTS
Prvi Koraci is again part of the official AFT calendar of tournaments this year and carries the Grand Tour designation - a high-ranking competition in the Association of Football Tournaments (AFT) system.

This means that in Split, the battle will not only be for the winning trophies and the prestigious title of one of the strongest international tournaments in the region. All teams will also earn valuable AFT points, which directly affect their ranking on the AFT ranking. For this reason, every point earned in Split can have significant importance in the overall standings throughout the season.

EUROPEAN ACADEMIES RETURNING
Prvi Koraci has been attracting the biggest names in European youth football for years. Among the participants of previous editions are Bayern Munich, Juventus, Roma, PSV Eindhoven, Red Bull Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split, Rijeka, Osijek, Olimpija, Maribor, Honvéd, and many other prestigious academies.

The arrival of Manchester United, the return of Lazio, and the third consecutive appearance of VfB Stuttgart are the best confirmation that this is a tournament that has gained respect far beyond the borders of Croatia.

Matches will be played on fields in Trogir, Solin, Split, Stobreč, and Dugopolje, ensuring top conditions for organizing one of the largest international tournaments for younger age groups in this part of Europe.

In last year's edition, Hajduk, Dinamo, and Lokomotiva showed the most, while excellent performances were also achieved by Roma, Maribor, Osijek, Stari Aerodrom, and the local academies Adriatic and DU Talent. The complete ranking of all generations and the AFT points earned from the Prvi Koraci 2025 tournament can be viewed via the official link.

In last year's edition of the tournament, the biggest impact was made by the Split Hajduk and the Zagreb football schools Lokomotiva and Dinamo, which once again confirmed the quality of Croatian youth football. Excellent performances were also achieved by Italian Roma, Slovenian Maribor, Montenegrin Stari Aerodrom, Osijek, and the local academies Adriatic and DU Talent, which competed equally with European competition. The complete ranking of all generations and the AFT points earned from the Prvi Koraci 2025 tournament can be viewed at THIS LINK

Everything indicates that Prvi Koraci 2026 will be one of the strongest editions in the tournament's history. The arrival of Manchester United, the return of Stuttgart, traditionally strong international competition, and the battle for AFT points guarantee four days of top youth football in a city that has long become an essential stop on the European tournament map.