Minerva Academy create history again with Gothia Cup 2026 triumph
The Indian boys scored 87 goals in the Gothia Cup’s campaign
A dream comes true moment for Indian football as Minerva Academy created history once again. The club from India that has played a beautiful brand of football in the prestigious MIC Cup and scored six goals against a youth team like Liverpool FC, and now they have won the Gothia Cup 2026.
India’s Minerva Academy U-12 team defeated Brazilian side RS Sports Yellow 2-1 in an exciting final clash of the Gothia Cup 2026. Both of the teams have tried their ultimate best in football, but Minerva defended the trophy after a great campaign in the Helsinki Cup.
Ranjit Bajaj and his boys made their names in the MIC Cup, and after winning the Helsinki Cup, it’s a good story ending to win the Gothia Cup. The Minerva Academy boys have scored 87 goals in their 9 games while conceding just 10 goals.
A perfect group stage start in the Gothia Cup
For any sport, a perfect start to the whole campaign is very important to accelerate the tournament. The U-12 boys of Minerva Academy made all Indians proud by retaining the Gothia Cup 2026, as they faced some of the world’s biggest youth teams and beat them all to clinch the title again.
As we all know them from the MIC Cup, they played in a very attacking way as they started their journey against Prep Schools Pumas Blue, a club from England. Minerva defeated the English club and secured their first win in the group stage with a scoreline of 12-0.
With a win in hand in the first game, they felt very comfortable and then thrashed the other two clubs with record-breaking score lines. Minerva beat Norway side Lillestrom SK 3 (13-1) & then defeated Surte IS FK from Sweden 16-0.
Minerva scored 41 goals and reached the semi-finals
A complete dominance from the Indian side as they are looking to secure another Gothia Cup trophy, and that’s why they played in a very attacking mindset. In their four crucial games, which were the path to reaching the semi-finals, Minerva’s boys scored 41 goals in these four games and conceded just four goals. This reflects the team’s defensive solidity as well as the attacking firepower.
Minerva Academy beat Legacy Academy in the Round of 64 and edged past Prep Schools Lions in the Round of 32 to reach the last 16 of the Gothia Cup 2026. Against a French side OFC Couronnes, they have scored 17 goals and booked their spot in the quarters, where they faced Cancheritos FC from Bolivia and thrashed them 8-0 in a very commanding way.
Tough test for Minerva in the semi-finals
The first tough challenge for the boys was as they were facing Lokomotyv Kyiv, a club from Ukraine and beat them in a very narrow manner with a scoreline of 3-2. This match gave them a good fight and a reality check, where the Minerva academy boys got tested against a good youth club.
But in the difficult moment, they rose as Paikhomba scored the first goal in the first minute of the play, and Kipgen Thangsanglen and Donald sealed the victory for Minerva and reached the final game of the Gothia Cup 2026.
Minerva Academy edges past RS Sports Yellow to defend the crown
India’s Minerva Academy U-12 team defeated Brazilian side RS Sports Yellow 2-1 in an exciting final clash of the Gothia Cup 2026. Both of the teams have tried their ultimate best in football, but Minerva defended the trophy after a great campaign in the Helsinki Cup.
Kipgen Thangsanglen gave Minerva the lead in the final game, but the Brazilian side levelled the game with a beautiful finish. And in the last moment of the match, Mekhamkhraw Nongrem sealed the win with a great free kick, and India scripted history in the Gothia Cup 2026.
A brief look at Minerva Academy’s Gothia Cup 2026 scorecard
- Minerva Academy 12-0 Prep Schools Pumas Blue (England) – Group Stage
- Minerva Academy 13-1 Lillestrom SK 3 (Norway) – Group Stage
- Minerva Academy 16-0 Surte IS FK (Sweden) – Group Stage
- Minerva Academy 6-2 Legacy Academy (Kenya) – Round of 64
- Minerva Academy 10-1 Prep Schools Lions (England) – Round of 32
- Minerva Academy 17-1 OFC Couronnes (France) – Round of 16
- Minerva Academy 8-0 Cancheritos FC (Bolivia) – Quarter-final
- Minerva Academy 3-2 FC Lokomotyv Kyiv (Ukraine) – Semi-final
- Minerva Academy 2-1 RS Sports Yellow (Brazil) – Final
Who won the Gothia Cup 2026 U-12 title?
Minerva Academy FC’s U-12 team won the Gothia Cup 2026 after defeating Brazil’s RS Sports Yellow 2-1 in the final.
Who did Minerva Academy beat in the Gothia Cup 2026 final?
Minerva Academy defeated RS Sports Yellow of Brazil by a 2-1 scoreline.
How many goals did Minerva score in the Gothia Cup 2026?
The Indian academy scored 87 goals in nine matches.
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Rohit Mistri is a sports journalist from Kolkata with over two years of experience in the field. He has extensively covered Indian football, including major tournaments such as the Calcutta Football League and the Indian Super League. His work spans on-ground reporting, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling, along with interviews of prominent sporting personalities. Rohit brings strong communication skills and a deep passion for sports narratives to everything he writes.