Borussia Dortmund’s U21 team has won the Premier League International Cup after defeating Real Madrid 1-0 in the final. The match, played at Adams Park in Wycombe, was decided by an early goal from striker Taycan Etcibasi, who found the net in the 7th minute. The victory makes Dortmund the second German winner of the tournament, following Bayern Munich’s success in the 2018/19 season. Nottingham Forest were the previous champions.
The Premier League International Cup was established in the mid-2010s to provide regular international competition for U21 players from England. The initiative aimed to expose young talents to different playing styles, higher intensity, and varied tactical approaches, making the tournament more of a development competition than a traditional high-profile cup.
The current format features 32 teams divided into four groups, each consisting of English sides from Premier League 2 and invited international clubs. During the group stage, teams only play opponents from the other category. The top two from each group advance to the knockout rounds, which are single-elimination matches leading to the final.
Etcibasi, who scored the decisive goal, contributed five goals and one assist in six appearances in the tournament this season.
