The Academy III: Tournament of Champions

Now a New York Times bestselling series! Leo tries to lead his team to glory in some of the most exciting, high-stakes soccer in the world!

Last season, Leo and his teammates saved the Lewisham Knights by avoiding a last-place finish in the U14 Premier League. Their future looks bright―until they learn the adult Knights have dropped down to the second division, again putting the future of the U14s in jeopardy.

All might not be lost. The team owner has entered the U14s in the Tournament of Champions, which takes place over the summer. Leo and his teammates will pack their bags and travel across Europe to play against some of the top youth teams in the world. But the tournament isn’t just for pride and a trophy. Something else is at stake: a loophole that allows the winner of the tournament to stay in the youth Premier League. The competition will be fiercer than ever. No one is giving the Knights a chance to win. As if the tourney wasn’t enough to deal with, someone is trying to sabotage the team, and the Knights have a new star player with a serious attitude problem.

The mountain to climb has never seemed so high. Can Leo find a way to pull his team together and have a fighting chance in the Tournament of Champions?

The inspiring, action-packed third book in The Academy series is perfect for young readers 7-13 and for sports fans of all ages. 

Keep score with the other books in The Academy series:

The AcademyThe Academy II: The Journey ContinuesThe Academy IV: Title FightThe Academy V: Cup of Nations

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Read more of Leo’s soccer journey in the award-winning Middle Grade series from T.Z. Layton!
Meet Leo, who loves soccer, pizza, and FIFA. When he gets an opportunity to try out for the Youth Premier League, will the grueling trainings, player competition, and high stakes soccer prove too much for Leo? Journey alongside Leo as he joins the Lewisham Knights: the worst ranked team in the Youth Premier League. Between his cranky coach and new teammates, can Leo find his place and help the Knights? Travel with Leo around Europe as his team competes in the tournament of a lifetime! But will a new coach, terrible team chemistry, and a double-crossing teammate ruin the Knights’ chances of winning the title? Cheer Leo on as the Knights prepare to take on the Dragons! But before Leo faces the league’s top team, he’ll have to navigate a whole new set of teammates and a setback that could end his soccer career. Return with Leo to the States to represent his country on the USA junior national team! With little time to mesh and everyone expecting the worst from team USA, will Leo be able to pull his squad together for the Cup of Nations?

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sourcebooks Young Readers
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 6, 2026
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 296 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1464267189
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1464267185
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.1 ounces
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 – 11 years, from customers
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.74 x 8.5 inches
Book 3 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Academy
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 2 – 8
Best Sellers Rank: #7,081 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #9 in Children’s Soccer Books (Books) #9 in Children’s Travel Books (Books) #25 in Children’s New Experiences Books
Customer Reviews: 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars (904) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });