More than 400 schoolchildren from across Monaco descended on Stade Louis-II on Tuesday, May 19 for the fourth edition of the Munegu Cup, with the popular youth football tournament once again turning the Principality’s iconic stadium into a celebration of sport, teamwork and community spirit.
Organised by AS Monaco in partnership with Monaco’s Directorate of National Education, Youth and Sports, the event brought together pupils aged eight and nine from schools across the Principality for a day of friendly competition and football festivities.
Forty teams representing eight schools took part in the tournament, including, for the first time, the British School of Monaco alongside regular participants such as FANB, Saint-Charles, Révoires, Fontvieille, Condamine, Cours Saint-Maur and the International School of Monaco. The young players competed on a specially adapted Stade Louis-II pitch divided into multiple smaller playing areas, ensuring every team was guaranteed several matches throughout the day.
The atmosphere remained lively from the opening group stages through to the knockout rounds, with schoolmates cheering from the sidelines while student referees from Monaco’s UNSS sports programme officiated the matches. Club mascot Bouba and stadium announcer Laurent Nieloux added to the occasion, transforming the event into a full-scale football festival for the Principality’s youngsters.
After a fiercely contested afternoon, the final saw the Institution François d’Assise–Nicolas Barré face the International School of Monaco in front of senior club officials and first-team midfielder Takumi Minamino. FANB ultimately emerged victorious, claiming the President’s Trophy for the second time in the competition’s history.
The Munegu Cup forms part of AS Monaco’s wider community outreach efforts aimed at strengthening links between the club and young people across Monaco and neighbouring towns. Initiatives such as the Kids Tour and the ÜNSEME Cup have become central to the club’s local engagement strategy in recent years.