US Youth Soccer National League introduces new event formats for 2025-26 season

FRISCO, Texas – The US Youth Soccer National League announced updated event formats that will begin in the 2025-26 season, including the introduction of The National League Cup.

Over the past six months, US Youth Soccer established a National League working group that reviewed a survey conducted by the National League of all its clubs and teams. The feedback from the teams, college coaches and club leaders led to the formation of new event structures that meet the needs of the youth soccer landscape. The new National League event structures were developed with a focus on simplifying the competition formats, elevating the level of play, and maintaining advancement opportunities that adapt to future evolutions to the overall US Youth Soccer competitions.

The changes result in two national competition formats within the National League — updated Winter Events and The National League Cup (The NL Cup).

“The US Youth Soccer National League is committed to introducing new event formats designed to enhance competition, provide meaningful development opportunities, and create the best possible experience for players, teams and clubs,” USYS Chief Soccer Officer Tom Condone said. “These innovative formats will elevate the level of play while maintaining a clear pathway for advancement within the evolving landscape of youth soccer.”

WINTER EVENTS

The National League Winter Events are a modification to simplify the current structure of quarterfinal events and semifinal events. As with the current event structure, the winter events will provide teams with an opportunity to earn their place into the summer’s USYS National Championships.

Winter events will be open to National League teams in the 14U-19U Boys and Girls age groups, with competing teams selected via an application process. Within each age group, 40 total teams will be split among two events, and each team will play in one event.

At each event, teams will be divided into five groups of four, and each team will play its three group opponents over three days. Teams that finish in first place in their four-team group will advance to the USYS National Championships as a National League representative.

Additionally, teams that finish in second place in their four-team group at the winter events will earn a spot into The NL Cup at the end of that season.

The newly formatted winter events will kick off in November 2025 and January 2026, during the winter portion of the 2025-26 seasonal year.

THE NL CUP

This new, streamlined competition format will offer teams the opportunity of a postseason competition and will be exclusive to National League teams, highlighting the top competition in the league. Qualification will take place on a same-season basis, with teams earning placement directly from their performance in regular season league competition.

“Over 75 percent of National League club leaders indicated they wanted a league cup established, and many aspects of The NL Cup format highlight factors that club leaders rated as very important,” said Marc Frankland, National League General Manager. “We are very excited about this new competition desired by a majority of our clubs, which gives teams advancement opportunities into a true National League postseason.”

Winners of National League Tier 1 Divisions, in both club-based and team-based leagues, will earn automatic qualification into The NL Cup. The remaining spots in The NL Cup will be filled by the teams that qualify for the competition through their performance at the winter events.

The first stage of The NL Cup — The NL Cup Playoffs — will feature four events and take place in late May or June.

At each playoff event, eight boys teams and eight girls teams in their respective 13U-19U age group will compete in a group play format with three games over three days. Each age group will have two groups of four teams, with the winner of each four-team group advancing to The NL Cup Finals.

The NL Cup Finals will feature eight teams — the two group winners from each of the four playoff events — in each of the 13U-19U age groups for both boys and girls. Teams will play three games in three days in a bracket format, where games progress from quarterfinals to semifinals to the finals — in which The NL Cup champions will be determined.

The NL Cup will debut in Spring 2026 at the end of the 2025-26 seasonal year.

BEHIND THE CHANGES

The updates to the National League’s event structures stemmed from deliberate consideration of feedback provided by club directors, coaches, players, parents and college coaches.

A collaboration between USYS staff and the USYS National League working group — which includes representatives from youth clubs, USYS State Associations, the USYS Board of Directors and USYS staff — allowed the new event structures to be developed with input and attention from all involved.