ONB Takes Lebanon to Spain: Inside the Costa Girona Cup 2026

From June 25 to 28, Olympique National Beirut took a significant step in its European development pathway, sending its U11 and U9 squads to compete in the Costa Girona Cup 2026, one of the most competitive youth tournaments on the Spanish football calendar.

For a club built on a European methodology from day one, this was more than a tournament. It was a chance to test that methodology against it. Our players lined up against some of Catalonia's most established academies, many of them steeped in the same footballing culture that shaped ONB's own coaching philosophy.

The results reflected the work put in over the past season. The U11 squad reached the quarter finals of the competition, while the U9 squad finished runner-up in the Silver Phase, a strong showing against clubs with far greater exposure to this level of competition.

But for everyone involved, the scoreline was only part of the story. Players who had trained under a Spanish-influenced system in Beirut suddenly found themselves living it, on Spanish soil, against Spanish and European opposition. The composure, the discipline, and the belief they carried onto the pitch spoke to the environment being built back home.

Technical Director Paco Araujo, a former FC Barcelona player developed through the La Masia academy, has led ONB's coaching program since its founding and was on the sideline throughout the tournament.

"What I saw in Girona wasn't luck. It was the result of consistent, structured work applied over time. These players trained with the same principles we use every single day at the academy, and they went out and competed with real belief. That tells me the pathway we are building is working, and it tells me this is only the beginning for these players."

The trip builds directly on ONB's partnerships with Real Betis and Girona FC, both of which continue to shape the club's approach to player development and European exposure. It also arrives just weeks ahead of ONB's Summer Camp, running August 3 to 8, where the same methodology on display in Girona will be brought directly to players training in Beirut.

For ONB, Costa Girona Cup 2026 was a marker of where the academy stands today, and a glimpse of where the pathway is heading next.