The Gunners were declared joint champions alongside China U17 after Typhoon Dolphin forced the cancellation of the final.
Arsenal‘s under-17 side have been declared joint champions of the 2026 Shanghai Future Star Cup after the tournament final was cancelled because of the approaching Typhoon Dolphin.
The young Gunners were due to face China U17 in the final after both teams came through their respective semis, but worsening weather conditions forced organisers to abandon the fixture.
The match had initially been moved behind closed doors before ultimately being cancelled without being rescheduled, leaving Arsenal and China to share the title.
The tournament, meant to be held in Shanghai between 3 and 9 August, featured academy sides from Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, River Plate, Athletic Bilbao, Bayer Leverkusen, Shanghai U17, China and Arsenal.
This year’s event also introduced a women’s competition, with Arsenal’s girls set to compete later this month.
The young Gunners opened with a dramatic 3-2 defeat to China U17. Jayden Oba and Emerson Nwaneri twice hauled Arsenal level after the hosts raced into a two-goal lead, only for China to snatch victory with a 97th-minute winner.
Arsenal responded by defeating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 before drawing 1-1 with Athletic Bilbao to secure a place in the semi-finals.
Their last-four meeting with Shanghai U17 also went the distance. Daniel McCarron and Jaden Maghoma scored during a 2-2 draw before goalkeeper Jack Talbot made the decisive save in the penalty shoot-out. Abraham Owusu-Gyasi then converted the winning penalty to send Arsenal into the final.
Although the trophy ultimately had to be shared, Arsenal’s recovery from their opening defeat provided one of the tournament’s strongest storylines.
The travelling squad blended first-year scholars with younger academy prospects, including Emerson Nwaneri, Oba, Maghoma, McCarron, Talbot and under-15 midfielder Luis Munoz, while Gabriel Arteta Bernal, Mikel’s son, was also part of the group.
China’s Zhao Songyuan was named player of the tournament after starring throughout the competition, including in the hosts’ opening victory over Arsenal and their later win against Bayer Leverkusen. Arsenal’s Maghoma finished joint top scorer with four.
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