"All About the Future": Kevin De Bruyne Cup and Veo partner once again to spotlight and celebrate football's next generation
Magnus Holt
Copenhagen, Denmark, and Ghent, Belgium: The KDB Cup, powered by Veo, returns on May 31 and June 1, 2025, with a clear focus: the future of football. The youth tournament, founded by Belgium and Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, continues the tradition of showcasing the world's most promising U15 talent through partnerships that elevate youth development.
The tournament has an impressive track record of showcasing future stars, with players like Jamal Musiala, Gavi, Pau Cubarsí, and Jérémy Doku all having stepped on the pitches in Drongen before moving on to professional careers. Elite academy teams from across Europe, including Barcelona, Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and top Belgian clubs, will compete for the prestigious title. This year, Veo collaborates with The Secret Scout, the renowned talent identification platform, to discover the next generation of football stars before they sign professional contracts.
Veo's AI-powered cameras will live-stream every game, allowing supporters worldwide to follow the action through free live streaming on Veo’s YouTube channel. Last year's tournament attracted viewers from over 50 countries, with more than 600,000 people tuning in throughout the weekend. The numbers are expected to grow in 2025.
The Secret Scout will provide on-the-ground analysis throughout the weekend, spotlighting the most shining talents as well as the hidden gems among the talents. In addition, they will create a series of content pieces planned to be published after the tournament, giving a more in-depth view of the future stars.
“All about the future”
Veo’s campaign to hype the KDB Cup plays on one of football’s hottest topics: Kevin De Bruyne's next move. With his Manchester City contract set to expire, Veo has seized the opportunity and created a tongue-in-cheek campaign where the midfielder teases a major "reveal" that ultimately turns out to be the tournament’s group draw, all delivered deadpan with Kevin De Bruyne’s characteristic dry humour.
"Everyone's asking about my future," De Bruyne says, "but there's another future that deserves the spotlight." The misdirection culminated in the tournament draw, which was revealed on April 29, 2025.
For more information, visit kdbcup.be and follow @veotechnologies and @veofootball on social media platforms.
"We're thrilled to capture every moment of the KDB Cup through our AI-powered cameras. This partnership perfectly aligns with our mission of democratizing sports technology – allowing coaches to provide detailed feedback to young players while connecting communities worldwide to these special moments that might otherwise go unseen," says Henrik Teisbæk, CEO and co-founder of Veo.
About Veo
Veo helps sports teams level up with an automated camera and an advanced analysis platform, all powered by AI. Founded in Copenhagen in 2015, Veo has developed an intelligent sports camera that enables sports teams of all levels to record and live-stream matches automatically. Today, more than 50,000 clubs worldwide use Veo.
About the KDB Cup
Founded by Kevin De Bruyne in 2016, the KDB Cup is an elite U15 youth football tournament held annually in Drongen, Belgium. The tournament brings together top academy teams from around the world including Barcelona, Manchester City, and Bayern Munich to compete in a weekend of high-level competition, focused on player development and football excellence.
About The Secret Scout
The Secret Scout is a leading platform for talent identification in football, providing expert analysis and insights on emerging players before they reach mainstream recognition. Through their extensive network and eye for potential, The Secret Scout has established itself as a trusted resource for discovering the stars of tomorrow.
