Author: The Pokémon Company

11 November 2021—Last night, England legend Joe Cole launched the new season of the Pokémon Youth Futsal Cup with an exhibition tournament at a futsal hall in Wembley featuring three local teams.

The exhibition tournament saw local London teams HFR Haringey Girls (U14s), Belmont Bees (U12s), and Brook House FC (U12s) go head-to-head to mark the start of the Pokémon Youth Futsal season. Cheered on by Joe Cole and Pikachu, all three teams showed off some excellent Futsal skills. Brook House FC from Hayes came out the eventual winners of the tournament taking home Pokémon kit and prizes.

Pokémon is the title partner of The FA’s Youth Futsal Programme, which aims to recruit boys and girls in the U10–U16 age groups. Clubs across the country have registered to take part in this season’s Pokémon Youth Futsal Cup, with local heats starting in November, culminating in the National Finals next June. Each team that has signed up has received their own Pokémon-themed futsal gift bag.
The partnership works to encourage children of all abilities to play futsal and develop their skills in a fun and supportive environment.

Former England player and FA representative Joe Cole said, “Futsal is the perfect way for young people to develop their football skills. It teaches close control and helps to improve lots of other technical aspects of their game. It’s great to see the work that Pokémon and the FA are putting in to help teach kids the value of the game in a fun way. It’s a fantastic scheme to be a part of, with thousands of futsal kit bags being given to clubs and schools. I would encourage all teams, schools, and parents to get their kids involved if they can.”

“We are thrilled to have launched the Pokémon Youth Futsal 2021/2022 programme alongside Joe Cole and in partnership with The FA,” said Peter Murphy, Senior Director of Marketing at The Pokémon Company International. “We’ve had a fantastic registration period, and we are excited to see how those who have signed up to take part enjoy their experience and improve their football skills over the course of the season.”

Louise Gear, FA Head of Development said: “It has been fantastic to mark the start of the Pokémon Youth Futsal Cup which gives young players across the country the chance to compete against other teams and go all the way to the national finals. We look forward to seeing thousands of children from hundreds of clubs across the country in action over the course of the season in what promises to be an exciting and fun competition for all involved.”   
 
Pokémon Youth Futsal will be offered to schools around the country as one of the School Games options, as Pokémon and The FA continue to create standout initiatives for children. In the New Year, Gareth Southgate and Pokémon will visit a school to help spread the word about using futsal as a games option in schools.

To learn more about the progression of this season’s competition and how you can get involved in upcoming competitions, visit http://www.mastertheball.com.
ENDS

About Pokémon
The Pokémon Company International, a subsidiary of The Pokémon Company in Japan, manages the property outside of Asia and is responsible for brand management, licensing, marketing, the Pokémon Trading Card Game, the animated TV series, home entertainment, and the official Pokémon website. Pokémon was launched in Japan in 1996 and today is one of the most popular children’s entertainment properties in the world. For more information, please visit www.pokemon.co.uk.
 
About The Football Association
The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and successfully generates enough revenue to support investment of over £150m into English football each year. The FA oversees England international teams across men’s, women’s, youth and disability football, as well as running The National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup and Vitality Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.