The tournament is especially focused on the development of young players, with a special set of rules applied for that purpose.
For example, there is a minimum playing time for a player in case of a draw and a penalty shootout.
The tournament helps young referees to gain experience in international football as well.
The tournament also enables the participation of non-UEFA members, with 23 non-UEFA national boys' and girls' national teams competing at the tournament so far.
The tournament was to feature the Poland U-16, Venezuela U-16, Iceland U-16 and Iran U-16.