2026 MLS NEXT Cup Presented by Allstate Kicks off May 23 as Real Salt Lake Academy Battles for Title on Home Soil
MLS Real Salt Lake

2026 MLS NEXT Cup Presented by Allstate Kicks off May 23 as Real Salt Lake Academy Battles for Title on Home Soil

Published on May 21, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Real Salt Lake News Release


NEW YORK & HERRIMAN, - The 2025-26 MLS NEXT season culminates at the 2026 MLS NEXT Cup presented by Allstate in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the best youth teams in the U.S. and Canada compete to be crowned MLS NEXT champion. The single-elimination knockout tournaments will be held from May 23-31 at Regional Athletics Soccer Complex with Real Salt Lake U18s opening its campaign on Sunday against Orlando City Sentinel on Field 14 at 5:00 pm MT. All championship matches will be played at Zions Bank Stadium.

The 2026 MLS NEXT Cup presented by Allstate is the conclusion of the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season, featuring the top teams in each age group (U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19), Real Salt Lake Academy competing in the U19 division. In the Allstate Homegrown Division within the U15 through U19 age groups, 32 teams will qualify for the tournament based on their position in league play. In each age group within the MLS NEXT Academy Division (U15 to U19), 16 clubs will qualify via league play, RSL Academy punching its ticket via topping the division table and 16 finalists from MLS NEXT Cup Qualifier events will compete for championships in Salt Lake City.

MLS NEXT Cup presented by Allstate matches in the U15-U19 age groups will be 90 minutes in length. If a match is tied at the end of regulation, it will go directly to penalty kicks- except for the championship matches. Championship matches will include two five-minute periods of extra time. If the score stays level after extra time, penalty kicks determine the winner.

A total of 22 matches, including all eight championship matches, will stream live on MLS' YouTube page. Jalil Anibaba, Calen Carr, AJ Ricketts, and Carter Augustine will be the broadcasters for the tournament from May 23-31 in Salt Lake City.

The full schedule for MLS NEXT Cup presented by Allstate will be available HERE and the final 2025-26 final league standings are available HERE.

In 2025, four MLS NEXT Academies took home the title in their respective age groups - U15 Philadelphia Union, U16 Real Salt Lake completing its historic "double" feat becoming the first squad to win Generation adidas Cup and MLS NEXT Cup in the same year, U17 Inter Miami CF, and U19 LA Galaxy. For the first time ever, MLS NEXT Cup Champions were crowned in the U13 and U14 age groups. Taking home the inaugural honors were Springfield SYC (U13) and Orlando City SC (U14). Notable standout players at MLS NEXT Cup who have gone on to star in MLS include Benjamin Cremaschi (Inter Miami CF), Zavier Gozo (Real Salt Lake), Taha Habroune (Columbus Crew), Peyton Miller (New England Revolution), Sergio Oregel Jr. (Chicago Fire FC), and Andrew Rick (Philadelphia Union).

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