Representatives of La Liga and EA SPORT at the press meeting of the Next Gen Draft’ programme. Photo courtesy of organiser

HCM CITY — EA SPORTS and La Liga have officially launched the ‘Next Gen Draft’ programme in Việt Nam, part of the global EA SPORTS FC FUTURES initiative, aiming to identify and nurture promising young football talents.

The event is taking place at Gia Định Stadium in HCM City from April 11 to 13.

Việt Nam is the only Asian country selected to host the event, alongside South Africa, the United States, the United Arab Emirates and Guatemala.

This weekend, over 200 Vietnamese children will join more than 1,000 young players across five countries in the programme. From Việt Nam, eight finalists — four boys and four girls — will be selected to travel to Madrid this June for a unique training camp with La Liga.

“This reflects the great potential of Vietnamese football,” said Pablo Casaos, La Liga’s delegate in Việt Nam. “We already operate La Liga Academy Việt Nam, one of our official international academies. This programme further demonstrates our long-term commitment to Vietnamese football.”

The selection process is divided into three phases. The first, the Rush Tournament, features 5v5 matches with short halves. From this, standout performers and members of winning teams will progress to the FC FUTURES ACADEMY sessions, where La Liga’s UEFA PRO-licensed coaches will train the youngsters using a unique curriculum combining video game insights from FC 25 with real-world coaching.

In the final phase, selected players will take part in a full match against a local side. Based on both performance and personal values such as commitment and teamwork, eight players will be chosen to join the La Liga Experience in Spain.

There, they will train at La Liga facilities, compete with youth squads of professional clubs, and gain exposure to football development at the highest level.

EA SPORTS FC FUTURES is a long-term initiative investing in grassroots football globally. It includes pitch refurbishments, free coaching resources and partnerships with local organisations to build inclusive football communities. VNS