Looking at Minerva Academy FC's road to becoming Gothia Cup 2025 champions

Minerva thrashed the Argentine side 4-0 in the Gothia Cup 2025 finals.

One of the most diverse youth football tournaments in the world, Gothia Cup or the World Youth Cup, took place in Gothenburg, Sweden. Minerva Academy created history by becoming the first-ever Indian side to win this esteemed youth tournament.

From conceding just two goals in their entire campaign to scoring 55 goals, the young talents from Minerva Academy showed total dominance as they thrashed every opponent in this tournament to become the Gothia Cup Champions 2025.

In this feature article, we dive deep into Minerva Punjab’s campaign in the Gothia Cup and how they went on to script history. From young players like Rhythm, Denamoni, Raj, to Azam Khan, these youngsters have made the nation prouder on a global stage.

Minerva’s road to Gothia Cup Champions

In the group stage encounters, Minerva faced three Swedish teams. They kickstarted their campaign with a 7-1 win over Skoftebyns IF before thrashing LB07 13-0. Their final group stage match against Stensatra IF saw them edging past the Swedish outfit 12-0 to finish as the group toppers.

The knockout fixtures began with Minerva pulling out a 9-0 victory over Lerums IS in the Round of 32 fixture. They then went on to thrash Finlandia Pallo AIF 5-0 in the Round of 16, booking their spot in the Quarter finals.

In the quarter finals, they faced some resistance from Skottorps but managed to win the game 3-1. The 2-0 victory over Syrianska IF in the semi-finals saw them make it to the finals of the Gothia Cup.

The much-anticipated final was expected to be a nail-biting thriller. But, the young lads from Minerva showed no signs of slowing down as the Indian side went on to defeat Argentina’s CEF 18 Tucuman 4-0 in the Finals to be crowned the Gothia Cup Champions.

Players who impressed the most in Minerva’s title-winning campaign

Minerva’s commitment to nurturing young talents from the length and breadth of this country worked wonders, as many young players got the exposure to play against international teams abroad and showcase their talent and skills.

Young Rhythm was one of the standout players in this league. He scored the opener in the semi-final against Syrianska IF and also scored in the finals against the Argentine outfit. His creativity and attacking instincts make him a bright prospect for the future.

In a campaign where Minerva netted 55 goals across 8 games, clocking an average of 7 goals every game, the offensive load was also carried forward by Yohenba, Raj, Denamoni, Azam Khan and Chetan. Yohenba’s leadership and consistency earned him MVP recognition in the final game against Tucuman.

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