Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2025, Flamengo vs Barcelona

The fourth Under-20 Intercontinental Cup was played on Saturday 23 August with CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub-20 victors Flamengo beating 2024/25 UEFA Youth League winners Barcelona 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The U20 Intercontinental Cup pits the youth champions of Europe against their South American counterparts, in a showdown agreed after UEFA and CONMEBOL signed a renewed and extended Memorandum of Understanding on 15 December 2021.

Who played in the 2025 U20 Intercontinental Cup?

Flamengo, winners of the 2025 Libertadores Sub-20 in March, beat Barcelona, the UEFA Youth League holders.

The Brazilian side had retained the South American title, becoming the first club to win that competition twice. Now they are the first club to have taken part in the Intercontinental fixture for the second time, last year coming from behind to beat Olympiacos 2-1 in front of more than 30,000 fans at the Maracanã.

In April, Barcelona became the first club to win the UEFA Youth League for the third time. However, as their previous wins in 2013/14 and 2017/18 occurred before the U20 Intercontinental Cup was inaugurated, this was their debut in the competition.

Flamengo's senior team previously played in the 1981 European/South American Cup, beating Liverpool 3-0 in Tokyo. In 1992 Barcelona made their only appearance in that competition, losing 2-1 to Brazil's São Paulo.

How did each team get there?

Entering the 2025 Libertadores Sub-20 as holders, Flamengo travelled to Paraguay and topped their group before defeating Uruguay's Danubio in the semis. In the final they met domestic rivals Palmeiras and after a 1-1 draw, Flamengo won 3-2 on penalties.

The following month, Barcelona earned their place as they beat AZ Alkmaar 1-0 in the UEFA Youth League semi-finals in Nyon then defeated Trabzonspor 4-1 in the decider.

When was the U20 Intercontinental Cup played?

The game was on Saturday 23 August 2025.

Where was U20 Intercontinental Cup played? 

There are few stadiums more famous than the Maracanã, which famously set a world-record attendance for the 1950 FIFA World Cup decider between Brazil and Uruguay. Following reconstruction, it also staged the 2014 World Cup final, in which Germany defeated Argentina.

Among the many big games previously held there are three Copa América finals, the 2016 Olympic men's and women's football gold-medal matches (and opening and closing ceremonies), the 2000 FIFA Club World Cup decider and the 2020 and 2023 Copa Libertadores showpieces (since the move to one-off matches in 2019), as well as several major sporting and non-sporting events.

It is the home of Rio de Janeiro rivals Flamengo and Fluminense, and on three occasions hosted matches in the European/South American Cup under its original two-legged format, all involving Santos:

1962 first leg: Santos 3-2 Benfica
1963 second leg: Santos 4-2 AC Milan
1963 play-off: Santos 1-0 AC Milan

It became the first stadium to host the U20 Intercontinental Cup for a second time.

How does the U20 Intercontinental Cup work?

The U20 Intercontinental Cup is a one-off fixture played over 90 minutes. There is no extra time, so if the game finishes level at the end of regulation time, the title will be decided on penalties. The referees for this edition will be appointed by CONMEBOL.

Up to a maximum of five of the 12 substitutes listed on each team's match sheet can take part in the match. Both teams have to register at least three goalkeepers.

The two sides are permitted to use a maximum of three stoppages in play to make their substitutions. Substitutions made during half-time do not reduce the number of stoppages in play that can be used.

A player who has been substituted can take no further part in the match.

The FIFA disciplinary code applies to incidents occurring during the match. However, yellow and red cards are cancelled at the end of the game and not carried forward to any other UEFA, CONMEBOL or FIFA competition.

Where to watch Flamengo vs Barcelona on TV and streaming

 The Under-20 Intercontinental Cup match was available in the following territories via UEFA and CONMEBOL's broadcast partners:

Belgium: Proximus
France: Canal+
Greece: COSMOTE TV
Georgia: Silknet
Hungary: RTL
Israel: The Sports Channel Israel
Spain: betevé
United Kingdom: TNT Sports UK

Brazil: Globo, Sportv
Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Bolivia, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba (to the extent permitted by US law), Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, Mexico, Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Marten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, Uruguay, Venezuela: ESPN

The match was also streamed live on UEFA.tv in all 55 UEFA territories.

Who played in the previous U20 Intercontinental Cups?

In the inaugural 2022 edition, Benfica triumphed 1-0 against Uruguay's Peñarol at the famous Estadio Centenario in Montevideo in front of 40,579 fans.

A year later, Boca Juniors took the trophy with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out victory after a 1-1 draw against AZ Alkmaar in front of 37,386 spectators at La Bombonera in Buenos Aires.

Then in 2024 it was the turn of the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro as Flamengo beat Olympiacos 2-1 in front of a crowd of 31,237, coming from behind to win with an added-time Felipe Teresa goal.

Why was the U20 Intercontinental Cup introduced?

The match is part of the expansion of the cooperation between UEFA and CONMEBOL, which notably includes women's football, futsal and youth categories, the exchange of referees, technical training schemes and the Finalissima games between the EURO and Copa América winners.

The first contest to be held was the men's Finalissima in 2022. Argentina beat Italy 3-0 at Wembley.

The same stadium staged the first Women's Finalissima in 2023, and this time the game went Europe's way as England defeated Brazil 4-2 on penalties after a dramatic 1-1 draw.

There is also a men's Futsal Finalissima, first held in 2022 in Buenos Aires as a four-team tournament involving two teams each from UEFA and CONMEBOL. Both European nations won their semi-finals against South American counterparts, and in the final EURO holders Portugal pipped Spain on penalties, while Paraguay overcame hosts and Copa América winners Argentina for bronze.

The U20 Intercontinental Cup has been inspired by the European/South American Cup, which was played between the winners of the CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores and the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League between 1960 and 2004. The last European/South American Cup final was won by Portuguese side Porto on penalties against Once Caldas of Colombia.

Another fixture, the European Club Challenge, was launched in 2023, with the pilot edition on 19 July 2023 pitting 2022/23 UEFA Europa League winners Sevilla against the winners of the 2022 CONMEBOL Sudamericana, Independiente del Valle of Ecuador. Sevilla won on penalties.

Had the European youth champions and Libertadores Sub-20 winners met before in an official showdown?

The 2022 edition was the first time the youth champions from the two contests had met in a formal, scheduled fixture.