Having been on a brief hiatus due to the pandemic, the KDB Cup is set to resume this year, with midfield maestro Kevin De Bruyne inviting the best youth teams from across Europe to compete in his home country of Belgium, and this year it will be under the watchful eye of new sponsors, the innovative AI-powered sports camera company, Veo.
The KDB Cup tournament began in 2016 and is held in Kevin De Bruyne’s hometown of Drongen, where the superstar began his ascent to the summit of world football. After a two-year break due to covid, the competition is set to resume this year, and with some of the biggest teams in Europe sending over their U15 teams and with a new, high-tech sponsor in place, it’s set to be one of the biggest and best yet.
Set to take place the weekend of 28-29 May, this year's participants include Manchester City, Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Ajax, PSG, Lille, Anderlecht, Gent, Genk, and Club Brugge. With some of the best young players in the game competing, it’s no surprise that the tournament attracts top managers and scouts from around the world who share a passion for youth football and a desire to uncover the next generation of talent. Previous high-profile visitors to the premier youth tournament include Pep Guardiola and Roberto Martínez, with star players such as Eric Garcia, Jamal Musiala, and Ansu Fati having also participated as players.
The presence of Veo – title sponsor of the KDB Cup for its next two editions – will instantly elevate the broadcasting ability of the tournament. For those not in the know, Veo offers the ultimate camera for team sports, allowing anyone to record and live-stream matches automatically through the use of AI-powered technology. You know what it's like: you score a worldie and you just want to watch it back, show it off. But if you're not on the professional pitches, and if someone watching doesn't 't happen to have their phone out at that precise moment of magic, it's gone forever; left to be a story you tell that's not believed, brushed off as over-embellished. And that's where Veo comes in, revolutionising the game, from grassroots up.
Veo’s iconic green cameras will capture all of the games at the KDB Cup with coaches and players from Europe’s best U15 academy teams having an opportunity to analyse their matches and share highlights using the Veo platform.
Speaking about the partnership and the brand’s presence at the tournament, De Bruyne said: “Veo will help the KDB Cup take the next big leap; it’s creating a platform for young players and coaches to do in-depth analysis, while also making the tournament more reachable for family, friends, and supporters around the world. It’s a no-brainer for everybody.”
The innovative partnership, in close collaboration with the organisers of the KDB Cup and Roc Nation Sports International, is designed to showcase the ability of Veo’s technology to help coaches and players evaluate, develop and capture moments from some of the most exciting young players in the world.
“We’re proud to support Kevin’s tournament, to continue to elevate the KDB Cup through Veo’s technology and to assist coaches and players, as well as help them capture memories that will last a lifetime," said Henrik Teisbæk, CEO and Co-Founder, Veo Technologies. "We can’t wait to meet and learn from coaches and players on how we can continue to improve our technology.”
Tune into Veo’s social media platforms during the tournament to get a sneak peek of the next generation of talent.
