Real Madrid Castilla Set For Premier League International Cup

Alvaro Arbeloa will have the chance to guide his team in an international competition for the first time in 40 years.

Real Madrid Castilla will participate in the 2025–26 Premier League International Cup, according to a report from MARCA. This will mark Castilla’s return to an international competition after more than four decades.

The tournament, hosted in England, features 32 U-21 sides—12 from the Premier League 2 and 20 invited clubs from across Europe. All matches will be held in the UK. Castilla is the first Spanish team ever to be invited to the competition.

For Madrid’s reserve side, this is a significant step. It’s their first non-UEFA affiliated international tournament since the 1980–81 European Cup Winners’ Cup, when Castilla famously reached the final against West Ham as Copa del Rey runners-up.

The move gives Castilla’s young talents valuable experience against elite academies abroad and adds another layer to their development under Arbeloa. It also offers a closer look for Real Madrid at how its youth players perform in a high-level international environment.

Match dates and opponents will be confirmed soon, with the tournament set to run from August through May.

Managingmadrid.com