Nyah wins the East Mallorca Girls Cup with Chelsea and is named tournament MVP
Sophia High School student Nyah won the East Mallorca Girls Cup with Chelsea’s under-14 side in October 2026 and was named MVP of the tournament. Chelsea beat Atlético de Madrid on penalties in the final, in Nyah’s first tournament since joining the club for the 2026/27 season.
“Winning the Mallorca Cup is a memory that will last a lifetime,” Nyah said.
Nyah is a Key Stage 3 student at Sophia, a British online school that builds each athlete’s timetable around their training.
The East Mallorca Girls Cup 2026
The East Mallorca Girls Cup is an international youth football tournament held in Mallorca, Spain. The 2026 edition ran from 14 to 18 October, with girls’ competitions at under-12, under-14 and under-16 level, according to the tournament website.
- The final. Chelsea and Atlético de Madrid finished the under-14 final goalless, and Chelsea won the penalty shootout 3 to 0, according to the official result posted by the organisers.
- The trophy. Pep Servera, Mayor of Son Servera, presented the trophy to the Chelsea squad.
- The other champions. AIK Stockholm won the under-12 title and Brighton won the under-16 title.
- The individual award. Nyah was named MVP of the tournament.
- A first for the club. As Nyah noted after the final, her squad is the first Chelsea team to win the East Mallorca Girls Cup, and more than 1,000 fans watched the finals.
Nyah’s first tournament as a Chelsea player
Nyah joined Chelsea ahead of the 2026/27 season, and Mallorca was her first tournament in a Chelsea shirt. She plays in midfield.
“I came to Chelsea because I wanted more,” she said. “To finally be in a team with a winning mentality, one that gives me the extra push I needed, feels incredible.”
She also credits the people around her, and her school in particular. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people around me, especially Sophia. They have played a massive part in my footballing journey so far, especially since I moved to Chelsea.”
How Sophia’s school week fits around Chelsea training
For an academy player at a standard school, the week can mean lessons until mid-afternoon, a journey to training, then homework after an evening session. Nyah described how that has changed for her.
“All the late nights and time-pressured days to get to training on time, we do not have to worry about this anymore. I have a timetable that fits around my sport.”
Sophia starts from the training week and places lessons inside it. The footballers page sets out the detail; these are the parts that matter most for a player like Nyah.
- The timetable is built around the academy’s plan. Sophia amends each student’s timetable around training programmes, fixtures and travel, so academy sessions are part of the week from the start of term.
- Lessons are live, small and recorded. Classes have six to eight students. A student who misses a lesson for a fixture or a tournament watches the recording and completes the work in a digital notebook, which the teacher can see.
- Academic lessons run Monday to Thursday. Friday is for enrichment, House activities and Sophia365, the programme covering leadership, media training, financial literacy and career transition.
- Support continues on tour. Every secondary student meets a mentor for 15 minutes each week, including during tournaments, and parents meet the school every one or two weeks.
- Exams follow the competition calendar. Students take Pearson Edexcel International GCSEs and International A Levels. Sophia was selected for the Pearson Edexcel Remote Invigilation Service, so exams can be sat at home with an additional examination cost, or at a Pearson centre.
The timetable is one part of the model. In “Young athletes need more than a flexible timetable“, Melissa McBride, Sophia’s founder, explains how teaching, mentoring and personal development sit alongside it. In “Beyond the player“, she sets out the school’s aim to educate good people and future leaders, whatever happens in the sport.
What comes next for Nyah
Looking ahead, Nyah reflected on her time at the school. “Studying at Sophia is a life changing experience, and I wouldn’t be in the position I am in today without the school. My next steps are towards achieving my dream, and one day it will become reality.”
About Sophia High School
Sophia High School is a full-time British online school for students aged 4 to 18. The Department for Education accredits Sophia through the Online Education Accreditation Scheme (URN 149905), following an Ofsted visit in September 2023 that found all the minimum standards met. Sophia is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA) and the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), and is a Pearson Edexcel approved centre. Details are on the accreditation page.
Sophia’s athletes currently play for clubs including Arsenal, Chelsea, West Ham United and London City Lionesses. Clubs can enrol one player or a full age group, with attendance and progress reported to the club as well as to parents. The athletes page explains how the week works across sports.
