There were only two major titles missing from Minerva Academy FC's impressive collection of European honours. Last year, the Chandigarh-based academy came close to winning both the Helsinki Cup and the MIC Cup but fell short in the finals. This year, however, they returned determined to complete the job.
Minerva Academy defeated defending champions and two-time winners HJK 1-0 in the final to claim the 2026 Helsinki Cup, completing a remarkable turnaround and securing another historic milestone for Indian youth football.
This victory was more than just another European trophy—it was the title that had narrowly escaped them a year earlier.
In 2025, Minerva became the first Indian team to reach the Helsinki Cup final after an extraordinary run in which they scored 42 goals without conceding. However, a narrow 1-0 defeat to PK-35 denied them the championship. Returning to Finland with unfinished business, they finally lifted the coveted trophy after an outstanding campaign.
The triumph further highlighted the academy's remarkable rise. What once appeared to be isolated upsets against European opposition has evolved into a consistent pattern, with Minerva regularly outperforming some of the continent's most respected youth academies.
A Dominant Run to the Helsinki Cup Title
Minerva dominated the competition from start to finish, scoring more than 50 goals en route to the championship while overwhelming opponents with attacking football.
Their campaign opened with a convincing 6-1 victory over FC Valtti, followed by a 9-1 win against Helsingin Palloseura and an emphatic 11-0 triumph over EBK, where T. Kipgen delivered an outstanding six-goal performance.
The knockout stages proved equally one-sided. Minerva crushed Helsingin Ponnistus 19-0 in the Round of 32 before progressing to the Round of 16 through a walkover against Makati FC.
One of their most impressive performances came in the quarter-finals, where they dismantled HJK 6-0 to secure a place in the last four. They continued their dominant run with a 9-0 victory over Käpylän Pallo in the semi-finals before defeating defending champions HJK 1-0 in the final to lift the trophy.
Several players played pivotal roles throughout the tournament. T. Kipgen emerged as one of the standout performers after his six-goal display against EBK. Yohenba contributed consistently, including a hat-trick against EBK and the opening goal in the 6-0 quarter-final victory over HJK. Rimoson also impressed with a hat-trick against FC Kasiysi and continued scoring in the knockout rounds, while Haokip, Nongdren, Paikhomba, Wangshem, and Donald all made significant contributions as Minerva dominated European opposition.
From Liverpool to Helsinki
Over the past year, Minerva Academy has firmly established itself as one of the most successful youth football teams from India on the international stage.
Earlier this season, the academy produced one of its most memorable performances by defeating Liverpool FC's Under-15 side 6-0 in the Round of 16 of the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup (MIC) in Spain. Raj Singh scored a hat-trick, Mohammad Azam Khan netted twice, and Lisham Amarson Singh added another goal in what became one of the most remarkable victories by an Indian youth team against elite European opposition.
That result followed an extraordinary 2025 campaign in which Minerva became the first Indian club to win the Norway Cup. The academy scored an astonishing 130 goals across eight matches before sealing the title with a commanding 14-1 victory in the final.
They also captured the Dana Cup in Denmark, becoming the first Indian side in 43 years to win the tournament after a record-breaking 15-0 triumph in the final.
With the Helsinki Cup now added to their growing list of achievements, Minerva's remarkable European journey continues.
The celebrations, however, will be brief. The academy now heads to Sweden for the Gothia Cup, widely regarded as the world's premier youth football tournament, where they will aim to add yet another European title to their expanding collection.
