The Pokémon Company International enters second year of partnership with English Schools’ Football Association, announcing 2023/24 Pokémon Cup

The largest primary-age school football cup in England is continuing into its second year as The Pokémon Company International and the English Schools’ Football Association (ESFA) announce the 23/24 season. The Pokémon Primary Schools’ Cup, sponsored by both organizations, is a national competition for students aged 9 to 11, designed to promote ESFA’s “15 Benefits” of football, including principles like teaching respect, encouraging teamwork, and helping children to feel they are part of a team. The competition reaches more than 50,000 students in over 5,000 teams across England, who compete in mixed teams, girls’ teams, and small school teams categories.

Peter Murphy - Senior Director of Marketing at The Pokémon Company International, said:

“It was amazing to see so many talented teams from across the country take part in last season’s competition, truly demonstrating that teamwork, friendship and respect are equally important factors in a football competition. We look forward to continuing to work alongside the ESFA to build on last year’s competition and add in a few special touches that will hopefully help inspire teams along the way.”

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Teams who proceeded to last season’s national finals had the opportunity to play at King Power Stadium, home of Leicester City Football Club. Coach of last season's winning Small Schools’ Cup team, Alex Norman, said “Having seen the school win the competition last year, the children are so excited to compete again. Our participation last year was a massive plus for the whole school with everyone feeling a part of the success.”

About the English Schools’ Football Association
Founded in 1904, the ESFA prides itself on its educational and values-based approach to football, including helping students build resilience, improving problem solving skills, and providing opportunities to develop positive relationships. The Association creates participation opportunities for hundreds of thousands of students across the country, working with sponsors like PlayStation, Pro: Direct, and of course Pokémon.