MLS NEXT 2025-26 Season: Key Dates

The sixth season of the MLS NEXT is underway, and we have five marquee showcase events that you should know about.

With the introduction of the MLS NEXT Academy Division, this season reaches unprecedented scale, encompassing 273 participating clubs fielding 2,189 teams. Over 43,000 aspiring players will battle across more than 28,000 competitive fixtures throughout the campaign.

2025-26 MLS NEXT: Key Dates & Events

• MLS NEXT Fest: December 4-15, 2025 (Mesa, AZ)
• Generation Adidas Cup: March 27- April 4, 2026 (Bradenton, FL)
• MLS NEXT Flex: April 23-28, 2026 (Frisco, TX)
• MLS NEXT Cup: May 23-31, 2026 (Salt Lake City, UT)
• MLS NEXT All-Star Game: TBA 2026 (Charlotte, NC)

MLS NEXT Fest

December 4-15, 2025 | Arizona Athletic Grounds and Reach 11 Sports Complex (Mesa, Arizona)

The 2025 MLS NEXT Fest stands as North America’s premier youth soccer talent identification and recruitment spectacle.

Taking place over twelve intensive days in Mesa, Arizona, this unparalleled showcase will bring together over 1,000 teams representing more than 200 clubs across all six competitive age divisions (U13 through U19). The event creates an unmatched scouting environment where hundreds of professional scouts, national team evaluators, and college recruiters will assess over 30,000 players competing in 1,850 matches.

This year’s MLS NEXT Fest will again serve as the qualification pathway for MLS NEXT Elite Academies seeking entry into the prestigious 2026 Generation adidas Cup.

Generation adidas Cup

March 27-April 4, 2026 | IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida)

Recognized as one of the world’s most elite youth soccer competitions, the 2026 Generation adidas Cup will unite MLS academies with premier international club academies in a week-long battle for supremacy at Florida’s renowned IMG Academy.

The tournament will showcase its second annual Girls Division, creating opportunities for international club teams to compete directly against Girls Academy representatives.

The 2025 edition featured an impressive international contingent of 18 clubs representing 14 nations, all vying for honors against North America’s finest MLS academy programs.

MLS NEXT Flex

April 23-28, 2026 | Toyota Soccer Complex (Frisco, Texas)

MLS NEXT Flex serves as the final opportunity for teams to secure their place in the season’s ultimate championship event, taking place at Texas’s Toyota Soccer Complex.

Participants are organized into four-team groups with seeding determined by regular season performance from September 2025 through March 2026.

Group champions earn automatic qualification to the 2026 MLS NEXT Cup, making every match a high-stakes encounter.

MLS NEXT Cup

May 23-31, 2026 | Regional Athletics Complex (Salt Lake City, Utah)

The season’s crown jewel event, the 2026 MLS NEXT Cup, will determine champions across all six age categories (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17, and U19) within the MLS NEXT Homegrown Division. Making its debut in Utah’s capital, the tournament will utilize the Regional Athletics Complex, with all championship finals taking place at Real Salt Lake’s America First Field.

The Homegrown Division features 32 qualifying teams in the U15-U19 brackets, earning their spots through league standings, Pro Player Pathway performance, or MLS NEXT Flex success. The younger U13 and U14 divisions will compete in both Championship and Premier brackets, each featuring 32 teams.

Within the MLS NEXT Academy Division (U15-U19), qualification comes through two pathways: 16 teams via regular season performance and 16 through MLS NEXT Cup Qualifier events.

As of now, I don’t think there will be a showcase for this event.

MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate

TBA 2026 | Charlotte, North Carolina

The season’s most prestigious individual honor awaits 44 exceptional players selected for the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate, providing a global platform to display their talents during MLS All-Star Week.

The traditional East versus West format will unfold in Charlotte, North Carolina, coinciding with the 2026 MLS All-Star Game location.

Selected players will experience full integration into MLS All-Star Week festivities, participating in exclusive events and activities leading up to their showcase match.