India Football: Kerala Blasters & Bengaluru FC set to face Premier League youth teams in Next Gen cup | OneFootball

Indian Super League (ISL) clubs, Kerala Blasters FC and Bengaluru FC are all set to take part in the Next Gen cup which will be held in the United Kingdom next month after they came out as the top two sides in the inaugural Reliance Foundation Development League (RFDL).

The inaugural RFDL took place earlier this year, with seven ISL clubs and the Reliance Foundation Young Champs battling it out to book a flight to the coveted youth tournament ready to take place in the UK.

In the end it was Bengaluru FC who eventually emerged as the winners, with Kerala Blasters finishing second to seal a spot in the Next Gen cup.

The emergence of Next Gen cup is a result of the Premier League's long-standing strategic partnership with the Indian Super League ever since its inception. This tournament will not only provide a global platform for India's youth to experience club football at the highest level but also allow the footballing environment to grow in and around the sub-continent.

Two years ago, the same tournament was held in Mumbai where the Reliance youth champs were the talk of the town after beating footballing stalwarts Southampton FC and Manchester United FC. The Next Gen cup is scheduled to start on July 26 with the two ISL sides set to fly out of the country for UK on July 22.