MIDI LEAGUE ŠABAC 2026: TOURNAMENT REPORT

Šabac has once again confirmed its status as a city of sports by hosting the best young footballers in Serbia at the Midi League tournament for the 2016 age group. During the multi-day competition, the fields were filled with emotions, talent, and top-notch plays that herald a bright future for our football. Although Crvena zvezda lived up to its favorite status and lifted the trophy, the tournament was marked by the exceptional fighting spirit of all teams, and particularly by the performances of young talents from the Next Football Stars platform, who dominated the field.

PHASE ONE: FIGHT FOR THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE BY GROUPS

The tournament opened with a group stage in which four groups (A, B, C, and D) determined the qualifiers for the knockout stage. The top four teams from each group secured advancement to the playoff stage.

GROUP A: DOMINANCE OF ZRENJANIN

In the first group, FKGJ Proleter from Zrenjanin showed the most, finishing in first place with a maximum of 15 points. Pčelinjo from Loznica collected 8 points, Ribnica Mionica 7, while host Mačva advanced with 7 points.
Group A Results:

Mačva Šabac 2 – 2 Pčelinjo

Radnički Ratkovo – Ribnica 0:5

Proleter Zrenjanin - Prestige Green 3:1

Proleter – Ribnica 4:3

Prestiž Green – Bee 1:2

Mačva – Radnički Ratkovo 4:0

Mačva – Proleter 1:2

Radnički Ratkovo – Pčelinjo 1:7

Prestige Green - Ribnica 2:1

Ribnica – Pčelinjo 3:3

Mačva – Green Prestige 3:1

Radnički Ratkovo – Proleter 0:10

Proleter – Bee 5:1

Ribnica – Mačva 2:0

Radnički Ratkovo – Prestiz Zeleni 0:8

GROUP B: EQUAL QUALITY

Kristal Vršac was the leader of this group with 13 points. Akademija Rad Krupanj and Atletiko Niš had 12 each, while Vuk Paraćin secured the fourth position with 10 points.
Group B Results:

Academy Rad – Senjak Valjevo 4:1

Vuk Paraćin – Aerodrom Kids 3:1

Kristal Vršac – Atletico Niš 1:2

Čanković Senjak 1:2

Academy Rad – Vuk Paraćin 4:3

Kristal – Aerodrom Kids 2:1

Atletiko Niš –

Čanković – Aerod

Academy Rad – Crystal 1:3

Vuk Paraćin – Senjak 3:0

Atletiko Niš – Aerodrom Kids 1:3

Čanković – Rad Academy 0:4

Akademija Rad – Atletico Niš 4:3

Vuk Paraćin- Kristal 4:4

Aerodrom Kids – Senjak 2:0

Čanković – Atletico Niš 0:2

Cankovic

Vuk Paraćin 2-3 Atlético Niš

Aerodrom Kids – Rad Academy 3:0

Kristal – Senjak 4:3

Čanković – Vuk Paraćin 1:2

GROUP C: VALJEVO NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY AT THE TOP

Tešnjar dominated Group C with 12 points. GDM Novi Sad was second with 9, while Akademija Bambi and OFK Gol each collected 7 points. This is where Aleksa Bekonja took his first serious steps in the tournament, playing for the Belgrade-based OFK Gol and showing maturity in game organization.
Group C Results:

Fenix Šabac – Tešnjar 0:1

GDM – OFK Gol 4:2

Bambi – Filip Filipović 1:1

Bambi – OFK Goals 2:0

Fenix – GDM 4:2

Filip Filipović – Tešnjar 1:2

Fenix – Bambi 0:2

GDM – Tešnjar 0:1

Filip Filipović – OFK Goal 2:2

OFK Gol – Tešnjar 2:0

Fenix – Filip Filipović 0:2

GDM – Bambi 3:1

Bambi – Carpenter 1:4

OFK Gol – Fenix 2:0

GDM – Filip Filipović 5:2

GROUP D: CLASH WITH THE CHAMPION

Crvena zvezda finished with 15 points. Radnički Valjevo was a great second with 8 points, RFC Inđija had 7, and Krila Krajine had 6 points. It was in this group that we saw the legendary match between Radnički and Zvezda. Valjevo played completely equally for the first 10 minutes, offering additional resistance that no one else at the tournament could match.
Group D Results:

Radnički Valjevo – RFC Inđija 1:1

Red Star – Krila Krajine 8-2

Radnički Svilajnac – Radnički Niš 1:2

Radnički Valjevo – Crvena zvezda 1:7 (Konstantin Radović scored for Valjevo)

Radnički Svilajnac – Krila Krajine 5:3

Radnički Niš – RFC Inđija 0:2

Radnički Valjevo – Radnički Svilajnac 1:1

Crvena zvezda – RFC Inđija 7:2

Radnički Niš – Krila Krajine 2:3

Radnički Valjevo – Radnički Niš 2:1

Red Star – Radnički Svilajnac 7:0

Krila Krajine – RFC Indjija 2:1

Red Star – Radnički Niš 9:0

Krila Krajine – Radnički Valjevo 1:3

Radnički Svilajnac – RFC Inđija 0:6

PLAY-OFF PHASE: FORMATION OF NEW GROUPS

After the first phase, teams formed new four groups (E, F, G, H) to determine the semi-finalists.

Group E: Rad Krupanj Academy (9 points), Proleter Zrenjanin (6), Krila Krajine (3), Bambi Academy (0).

Group F: GDM Novi Sad (7 points), Kristal Vršac (6), Mačva Šabac (4), RFC Inđija (0).

Group G: Vuk Paraćin (9 points), Tešnjar (3), Radnički Valjevo (3), Ribnica (3). Goal difference and head-to-head record were decisive here.

Group H: Crvena zvezda (9 points), OFK Gol (3), Pčelinjo (3), Atletiko Niš (3).

ANALYSIS OF PLAYER PERFORMANCE ON THE NEXT FOOTBALL STARS PLATFORM

In this tournament, several boys particularly stood out for their individual contributions:

Veljko Lazarević (Radnički Valjevo): A goalkeeper who was the backbone of the defense. His interventions, especially in matches against favored teams, demonstrated top-notch reflexes and courage. Veljko put together a string of outstanding saves that directly impacted the team's stability. Click here to view Veljko's NFS profile

Lazar Malešević (Radnički Valjevo): Although he had slightly less playing time in the rotation, Lazar made the most of every appearance on the court. His play was effective, with few passing errors, and he always brought much-needed freshness to the game. Click here to view Lazar's NFS profile

Uroš Gavrilović (Radnički Valjevo): One of the team's engines. Uroš played the tournament without slumps, at an extremely high level. His ability to read the game and connect defense and offense was crucial for Radnički's success. Click here to view Uroš's NFS profile

Konstantin Radović (Radnički Valjevo): Konstantin will remember this tournament for the goal he scored against Crvena zvezda. In moments when Radnički offered incredible resistance, he showed composure and talent. His fighting spirit on every part of the field was an example to others. Click here to view Konstantin's NFS profile

Mateja Ivanović (Radnički Valjevo): Mateja did a huge job in the field. His contribution might not always show up in the goal statistics, but his tactical discipline and confidence in his play contributed to Radnički making such a good impression. Click here to view Matej's NFS profile

Aleksa Bekonja (OFK Gol): As the leader of his team, Aleksa carried OFK Gol through tough matches. His play in the playoff phase, especially the win against Atletiko, confirmed his quality. Click here to view Alex's NFS profile

TOURNAMENT FINALS

The winners of the playoff groups met in the semifinals.

Semifinal 1: Akademija Rad Krupanj – GDM Novi Sad 2:3

Semifinal 2: Vuk Paraćin – Crvena zvezda 3:5

In the battle for third place, the Vuk Paraćin team celebrated against the Rađ Krupanj Academy with a score of 3:1.

The grand finale brought the match between Crvena Zvezda and GDM Novi Sad. Crvena Zvezda once again showed why they are at the very top, winning 6-3 and thus deservedly lifting the 2026 Šabac Midi League champion's trophy.

This tournament showed that results aren't the only thing that matters; the fighting spirit of Radnički Valjevo, the talent of boys like Lazarević, Radović, and others, give hope that these guys will become top professionals. Congratulations to all participants for fair and sportsmanlike play!