AIFF Youth League titles up for grabs as final rounds beckon

The AIFF Youth Leagues 2023-24 are entering their business end as the playoffs and the Final Rounds are scheduled to begin on Wednesday. 16 teams in each of the three leagues – the U-17 Youth League, the Junior League and the Sub-Junior League – will contest the Final Rounds and battle it out for the title.
The AIFF U-17 Youth League season began on December 13, 2023, and saw 54 teams, divided into 11 groups, contest the group stages held in a double round-robin and home-and-away format (except Groups I and J held in a centralised location).
Ten teams have qualified directly for the Final Round – Reliance Foundation Young Champs (Group A winners), Mohun Bagan SG (Group B winners), United SC (Group B runners-up), Football 4 Change Academy (Group C winners), Dempo SC (Group D winners), Kerala Blasters FC (Group E winners), Bengaluru FC (Group F winners), Punjab FC (Group G winners), Sudeva Delhi FC (Group G runners-up), Zinc Football Academy (Group H winners).
Before that, the playoffs (May 8-12) will see nine teams battle for six spots in the Final Round. Chennaiyin FC, Corbett FC and FC Goa are in Group 1, Mumbai City FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Snipers FC are in Group 2, Classic Football Academy, Rajasthan United FC and Sreenidi Deccan FC are in Group 3. All the Play-off group winners and runners-up will qualify for the Final Round.
The Play-offs and the Final Round will be held at the Tilak Maidan and the Utorda Ground in Goa. The Final Round, beginning on May 14, will see 16 teams divided into four groups of four each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. The semi-finals will be held on May 23. The AIFF U-17 Youth League 2023-24 final will be held on May 25 at 16:30 at the Tilak Maidan in Vasco da Gama.
The AIFF Junior League season began on March 30, 2024, and saw 49 teams divided into 10 groups. Five groups were held in a double round-robin format, while the other five were held in a single round-robin format.
Six teams, divided into two groups of three each, will contest the Junior League Play-offs (May 10-12). The group winners and runners-up will join the 12 teams that have already qualified, in the Final Round.
Kickstart FC, Punjab FC and Group J runners-up (either Corbett FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC or Jamshedpur FC) are in Play-off Group 1, while TRAU FC, Football 4 Change Academy and Belgaum United Football Academy are in Play-off Group 2.
The 12 teams who have qualified directly for the AIFF Junior League Final Round are Reliance Foundation Young Champs (Group A winners), Mumbai City FC (Group A runners-up), Bengal Football Academy (Group B winners), Mohun Bagan SG (Group B runners-up), FC Goa (Group C winners), FC Madras (Group D winners), Gokulam Kerala FC (Group D runners-up), Zinc Football Academy (Group E winners), ARA FC (Group E runners-up), Alchemy International FA (Group F winners), Minerva Academy FC (Group G winners) and Group J winners (either Corbett FC, Sreenidi Deccan FC or Jamshedpur FC).
The Play-offs and the Final Round will be held at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Amritsar. The Final Round, beginning on May 14, will see 16 teams divided into four groups of four each, with the top two from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals. The semi-finals will be held on May 23. The AIFF Junior League 2023-24 final will be held on May 25 at 18:00 at the Guru Nanak Stadium in Amritsar.
The AIFF Sub-Junior League season began on February 10, 2024, and saw 50 teams, divided into 11 groups, contest the group stages held in a double round-robin format (except Group G held in a single round-robin format).
Nine teams have qualified directly for the Final Round – East Bengal FC (Group A winners), Bidhannagar Municipal Sports Academy (Group A runners-up), Bengaluru FC (Group B winners), FC Goa (Group C winners), Minerva Academy FC (Group D winners), Mumbai City FC (Group E winners), FC Madras (Group F winners), Kahaani FC (Group G winners), and Baroda Football Academy (Group G runners-up).
Before that, the playoffs (May 11-13) will see nine teams battle for seven spots in the Final Round. Football 4 Change Academy, Corbett FC and Parappur FC are in Group 1, Punjab FC, The Sports School and TRAU FC are in Group 2, KR Football Leaders Club, Mum – Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA), and Belgaum United Football Academy are in Group 3. All the Play-off group winners, runners-up, and the best third-placed team among all groups will qualify for the Final Round.
The Play-offs and the Final Round will be held at the Capital Football Arena and the Odisha Football Academy in Bhubaneswar. The Final Round, beginning on May 15, will see 16 teams divided into four groups of four each, with the top two qualifying for the quarter-finals. The semi-finals will be held on May 22. The AIFF Sub-Junior League 2023-24 final will be held on May 24 at 16:30 at the Capital Football Arena.