South African sporting and outdoor value retailer, Mr Price Sport has teamed up with the Danone Nations Cup as the official apparel sponsor. While the soccer tournament is in its nineteenth year, this is the inaugural year of the Danone Nations Cup partnering with Mr Price Sport.

This collaboration is a great opportunity for Mr Price Sport to showcase its very own Maxed brand on the world stage. With value at the core of its offering, Maxed continues to ensure that its world-class fitness and sporting range remains accessible to every level of athlete – novice or pro – no matter their budget. The Maxed kit that will be featured throughout the tournament includes Maxed soccer balls, Maxed active tees and Maxed caps, as well as exciting spot prizes of Maxed soccer kit hampers.

What does the new collaboration with Danone Nations Cup mean for Mr Price Sport? "We are really excited to be supporting a national soccer event that enables local young talent to participate at a global level," says Mr Price Sport & www.mrpricesport.com Marketing Executive, Dylan Cherry.

The Danone Nations Cup is the world’s biggest soccer tournament for aspiring soccer legends between the age of ten and twelve years old. The tournament first kicked off in 2000, and has since become more than a “kids’ world cup” - it has become a memorable and invaluable experience for millions of children, all built on the central sporting values implemented in the first edition of this tournament: fair play, open-mindedness, humanity, proximity and enthusiasm.

Since its inception, the Danone Nations Cup has seen more than 2,5 million aspiring soccer players compete annually. Across the globe, 34,000 schools and 11,000 clubs take part every year. The tournament has grown from having eight countries take part in the tournament, currently, there are 20 boys’ teams and 8 girls’ teams. In 2017, the Danone Nations Cup has for the first time introduced an all-girl tournament to run in conjunction with the original format of the event.

The beginning of the Danone Nations Cup all started following the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France, where Danone chose to implement an international soccer tournament for young players. Not only would an event of this nature inspire children to believe in their dreams, it would get them to appreciate the value of developing a healthy and active lifestyle from an early age.

South Africa has taken part in the Danone Nations Cup from the start. In South Africa, the tournament reaches around 3000 schools. South Africa is also one of two countries to have won the tournament three times, taking the title in 2003, 2007 and 2009.

Registration for the Danone Nations Cup opens in January each year. Games will kick-off at cluster level in March, concluding in the national final to be held in June. The world finals are expected to take place in early October. Exact dates and venues to be confirmed.

To stay up-to-date with the latest on all things Danone Nations Cup, follow @danonenationcup or #DNC2019 on Twitter. For more on the teams taking part, fixtures and more, visit www.danonenationscup.com, and to kit out your aspiring football stars, visit www.mrpricesport.com, head to your nearest mr price sport store, or shop on the mr price app.