Under-20 Intercontinental Cup 2026: Real Madrid vs Santiago Wanderers at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu

The fifth Under-20 Intercontinental Cup will be played at Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid at 12:30 CEST on Saturday 19 September 2026, with UEFA Youth League winners Real Madrid hosting CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub-20 victors Santiago Wanderers. This will be the first time the match will be played in Europe.

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 will play in the 2026 U20 Intercontinental Cup?

Real Madrid, the UEFA Youth League holders, face Santiago Wanderers, winners of the 2026 Libertadores Sub-20 in March.

The Chilean side became the first team from their nation to win the South American youth club title. They lifted the trophy in Quito, Ecuador, equalising in the 89th minute to make it 1-1 then winning 5-4 on penalties against the club that had won the previous two Libertadores Sub-20 and U20 Intercontinental Cup titles, Flamengo.

In April, Real Madrid claimed their second UEFA Youth League title, beating Club Brugge 4-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in Lausanne.

When is the U20 Intercontinental Cup played?

The game takes place on Saturday 19 September 2026, with kick-off at 12.30 CEST.

Where is the U20 Intercontinental Cup played? 

The Santiago Bernabéu, opened in 1947 and most recently renovated in 2023, seats more than 80,000 fans and is the home of Real Madrid, named after a former player and club president. It has staged four European Cup/UEFA Champions League finals (1957, 1969, 1980 and 2010), the second leg of the 2018 Copa Libertadores final, as well as the 1964 UEFA European Championship and 1982 FIFA World Cup finals.

Ticketing details for the match will be confirmed in due course.

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.

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 4-1 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.

Flamengo retained the title in 2025 against Barcelona 6-5 on penalties following a dramatic 2-2 draw at the Maracanã, watched by 45,656 fans.

Why was the U20 Intercontinental Cup introduced?

The match is part of the co-operation 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.