Minerva Academy stunned the defending champions to lift the Helsinki Cup in Finland

Only two trophies were missing from Minerva Academy FC’s extraordinary European collection. They conquered almost everything in sight last year, but fell at the last hurdle in the Helsinki Cup and MIC Cup. This time, they seem adamant to make sure there is no unfinished business.

The Chandigarh-based academy beat defending champions and two-time winners HJK 1-0 in the final to lift the 2026 Helsinki Cup, completing a remarkable redemption story and adding another major achievement to Indian youth football.

It wasn’t just another European title. He was the one who escaped them.

Twelve months ago, Minerva became the first Indian team to reach the Helsinki Cup final, scoring 42 goals without conceding before a narrow 1-0 defeat to PK-35 denied them the trophy. They returned to Finland with the memory still fresh and left with the silverware that had eluded them, capping off another memorable week in Europe.

The triumph also underlined how far this group has come. What had previously seemed like isolated acts of giant-slaying had now become the norm, with Minerva repeatedly surpassing some of the greatest youth academies on the continent.

A GOAL MACHINE THROUGHOUT HELSINKI

Minerva hardly gave the opponent a chance throughout the tournament, scoring more than 50 goals on the way to the title.

Their campaign began with a 6-1 win over FC Valtti before they beat Helsingin Palloseura 9-1 and thrashed EBK 11-0, with T. Kipgen scoring a stunning six goals. The elimination rounds were no different. In the round of 32, they destroyed Helsingin Ponnistus 19-0 before progressing through the promotion against Makati FC in the round of 16.

The decisive performance came in the quarter-finals, where Minerva dismantled HJK 6-0 to secure a place in the semi-finals. They followed that up with another emphatic display, beating Käpylán Pallo 9-0 in the last four before beating defending champions HJK 1-0 in the final to complete a remarkable campaign.

Several players played throughout the competition. T. Kipgen was among the best performers after his six-goal masterclass against EBK. Yohenba provided key goals throughout, including a hat-trick against EBK and the opening goal in a 6-0 win over HJK. Rimoson scored a hat-trick against FC Kasiysi and continued his scoring streak in the knockout stages, while Haokip, Nongdren, Paikhomba, Wangshem and Donald played important roles as Minerva broke through European defences.

FROM LIVERPOOL TO HELSINKI

If anyone still doubted Minerva’s credentials, the past year has answered every question.

Earlier this season, the academy stunned European football by beating Liverpool FC U-15s 6-0 in the round of 16 of the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) in Spain. Raj Singh hit a hat-trick, Mohammad Azam Khan scored twice and Lisham Amarson Singh completed one of the most remarkable victories for Indian youth against elite European opposition.

The victory came after an extraordinary 2025 campaign in which Minerva became the first Indian team to win the Norwegian Cup, scoring a staggering 130 goals in eight matches before sealing the title with a 14-1 victory in the final. They also lifted the Dana Cup in Denmark, becoming the first Indian team in 43 years to win the competition after a record 15-0 triumph in the final.

Now they have finally added the Helsinki Cup to that growing list.

However, the celebrations will have to wait. Minerva will head straight to Sweden for the Gothia Cup, widely regarded as the Youth World Cup, in pursuit of another European crown. Considering what they have achieved in the last year, few would dare to bet against them.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

11 Jul 2026 19:22 IST