MLS Next (stylized as MLS NEXT) is a youth soccer league in the United States and Canada that is managed, organized, and controlled by Major League Soccer. It was introduced by the league in 2020.
It is a successor to the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The system covers the under-13, under-14, under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-19 age groups. The league currently includes 753 teams across 151 clubs.
History Organized youth soccer affiliated with Major League Soccer began with various MLS academy teams playing in the Super Y-League at its foundation in 1999. In 2007, the United States Soccer Federation created an elite academy league called the U.S. Soccer Development Academy, which featured academy teams of MLS teams, along with several non-MLS academies across the United States and Canada. The intention of the USSDA was to create a top division of youth soccer in the United States and Canada.
On March 12, 2020, as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy suspended its operations. On April 15, 2020, the league ended operations, citing financial difficulty. The next day, Major League Soccer announced the formation of a “new elite youth competition platform intended to provide year-round high-level matches for MLS club academy teams and non-MLS academy teams that previously participated in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy.” Major League Soccer officially announced MLS Next on September 8, 2020, encompassing 489 teams across 113 clubs and six age groups. On September 11, 2020, the inaugural MLS Next matches were held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado, between the Colorado Rapids and Real Colorado's respective U-17 and U-19 age groups. The league added 24 new clubs and expanded additional age groups for 16 existing clubs for the 2021–2022 season on June 11, 2021.
In December 2021, Major League Soccer announced MLS Next Pro, a new professional league that will complete an integrated player pathway from MLS Next through to MLS first teams. The league includes 27 teams and played its initial season in 2022.
In December 2024, MLS Next announced a strategic partnership with the Girls Academy in an attempt to foster an aligned development pathway for boys and girls aspiring to reach their highest potential.
In January 2025, MLS announced the expansion of MLS Next with a new competition tier that will feature an additional 1,200 teams from more than 220 clubs across regional divisions, managed by various league operators.
MLS GO
MLS GO is a development program, teaching fundamentals of soccer to boys and girls from ages 4 to 14, with sometimes playing in games together in a community setting. The program covers 47 states and Washington D.C.
MLS NEXT Cup +MLS NEXT Cup ChampionsU-13U-14U-15U-16U-17U-192020–21— Real Salt LakeWeston FCOrlando City SCChicago Fire2021–22Inter Miami CFD.C. UnitedPhiladelphia UnionNew England Revolution2022–23New York Red BullsAtlanta United FCLA GalaxyNew England Revolution2023–24Chicago FireFC DelcoLA GalaxyStrikers FC2024–25 Springfield SYCOrlando City SCPhiladelphia UnionReal Salt LakeInter Miami CFLA Galaxy2025–26Atlanta United FCOrlando City SCCedar Academy Stars-BergenTotal Football AcademyOrlando City YouthColumbus Crew
+Titles by clubClub U-13U-14U-15U-16U-17U-19TotalLA Galaxy2 (2022–23, 2023–24)1 (2024–25)3New England Revolution2 (2021–22, 2022–23)2Chicago Fire1 (2023–24)1 (2020–21)2Strikers FC1 (2024–25)1 (2023–24)2Philadelphia Union1 (2024–25)1 (2021–22)2Inter Miami CF1 (2021–22)1 (2024–25)2Orlando City SC1 (2024–25)1 (2020–21)2Real Salt Lake1 (2020–21)1 (2024–25)2Weston FC1 (2020–21)1D.C. United1 (2021–22)1Atlanta United FC1 (2025–26)1 (2022–23)2FC Delco1 (2023–24)1New York Red Bulls1 (2022–23)1
Clubs As of February 28, 2025 Club name Location Joined AC River San Antonio, Texas 2024–25 Achilles FC Silver Spring, Maryland AFC Lightning Peachtree City, Georgia 2021–22 Albion SC Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada 2021–22 Albion SC Merced Merced, California 2022–23 Albion SC San Diego San Diego, California Alexandria SA Alexandria, Virginia ASG FC Tallahassee, Florida Athletum FC Hialeah, Florida 2023–24 Atlanta United FC Academy Marietta, Georgia Atletico Santa Rosa Santa Rosa, California 2021–22 Austin FC Academy Austin, Texas Ballistic United Pleasanton, California Baltimore Armour Ellicott City, Maryland Barca Residency Academy Casa Grande, Arizona Bavarian United SC Glendale, Wisconsin 2021–22 Bayside FC East Providence, Rhode Island Beachside of Connecticut Norwalk, Connecticut Beadling Soccer Club Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 2021–22 Bethesda Soccer Club North Potomac, Maryland Blau Weiss Gottschee Middle Villages, New YorkBoston BoltsNewton, Massachusetts Breakers FC Aptos, California California Odyssey Soccer Club Clovis, California 2021–22 Capital City Soccer Club Austin, Texas 2023–24 Carolina Core FC High Point, North Carolina 2024–25 Cedar Stars Academy – Bergen South Hackensack, New Jersey Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth Tinton Falls, New Jersey CF Montreal Montreal, Quebec Chargers SC Clearwater, Florida Charlotte FC Academy Charlotte, North Carolina Chicago FC United Glenview, Illinois Chicago Fire FC Bridgeview, Illinois Chula Vista FC Chula Vista, California Cincinnati United Premier Cincinnati, Ohio City SC Carlsbad, California Colorado Rapids Academy Commerce City, Colorado Colorado Rapids Youth SC 2024–25 Columbus Crew Academy Columbus, Ohio Connecticut United FC Bridgeport, Connecticut 2024–25 D.C. United Academy Washington, D.C. De Anza Force San Jose, California Diablo Valley Wolves Concord, California 2021–22 Downtown United SC New York, New York 2024–25 Empire United SC Rochester, New York FA Euro New York Brooklyn, New York 2022–23 FC Bay Area San Jose, California FC Boston Bolts Newton, Massachusetts FC Cincinnati Academy Cincinnati, Ohio FC Dallas Academy Frisco, Texas FC Delco Downingtown, PennsylvaniaFC Golden State ForceJurupa Valley, California 2022–23 FC Westchester Scarsdale, New York Florida Rush SC Clermont, Florida Hoosier Premier Academy Noblesville, Indiana 2024–25 Hoover-Vestavia Soccer (HVS) Birmingham, Alabama 2021–22 Houston Dynamo Academy Houston, Texas Houston Rangers Houston, Texas IdeaSport Soccer Academy Kissimmee, Florida 2021–22 Idea Toros Fútbol Academy Edinburg, Texas IMG Academy Bradenton, Florida Indiana Fire Academy Carmel, Indiana Inter Atlanta FC Atlanta, Georgia Inter Miami CF Academy Fort Lauderdale, Florida IFA of New England Newton, Massachusetts 2021–22 Internationals North Royalton, Ohio Ironbound SC Newark, New Jersey 2023–24 Kalonji SA (KSA) Norcross, Georgia 2021–22 Keystone FC Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 2024–25 Kings Hammer Soccer Club Covington, Kentucky 2021–22 Jacksonville FC Jacksonville, Florida Javanon FC Louisville, Kentucky LA United Futbol Academy Los Angeles, California LA Galaxy Academy Carson, California LA Surf La Canada Flintridge, California Lamorinda FC Moraga, California Lanier SC Atlanta, Georgia Las Vegas SA Las Vegas, Nevada 2021–22Lexington SC AcademyLexington, Kentucky2025 Long Island Soccer Club Uniondale, New York 2024–25 Los Angeles Bulls SC Pacific Palisades, California 2023–24 Los Angeles FC Academy Los Angeles, California Los Angeles Soccer Club West Covina, California 2023–24 Lou Fusz Athletic Earth City, Missouri 2021–22 Louisiana TDP Elite Baton Rouge, Louisiana 2021–22 Metropolitan Oval Queens, New York Miami Rush-Kendall SC Miami, Florida Michigan Jaguars Novi, Michigan Michigan Wolves Farmington Hills, Michigan Midwest United FC Kentwood, Michigan Minnesota United FC Minneapolis, Minnesota Modesto Ajax United Modesto, California 2023–24 Murrieta Soccer Academy Murrieta, California Napa United Napa, California Nashville SC Academy Nashville, Tennessee Nashville United Brentford, Tennessee 2023–24 NEFC Mendon, Massachusetts New England Revolution Academy Foxborough, Massachusetts NYCFC Academy Orangeburg, New York New York Red Bulls Academy Whippany, New Jersey New York SC Purchase, New York Nomads San Diego, California Oakwood SC Glastonbury, Connecticut Orlando City SC Academy Orlando, Florida Orlando City Soccer School South Kissimmee, Florida 2021–22 Orlando City Soccer School – Seminole Sanford, Florida PA Classics Manheim, Pennsylvania Philadelphia Union Academy Wayne, Pennsylvania Phoenix Rising FC Phoenix, Arizona Players Development Academy Somerset, New Jersey Portland Timbers Academy Portland, Oregon Queen City Mutiny Charlotte, North Carolina 2021–22 Real Colorado Centennial, Colorado Real Jersey FC Medford, New Jersey Real Salt Lake Academy Herriman, Utah RSL Arizona Tempe, Arizona RSL Arizona – Mesa Mesa, Arizona 2022–23 Sacramento Republic FC Sacramento, California Sacramento United Sacramento, California 2022–23 San Antonio FC San Antonio, Texas San Francisco Glens San Francisco, California San Francisco Seals San Francisco, California 2022–23 San Jose Earthquakes Academy Santa Clara, California Santa Barbara SC Santa Barbara, California SC Del Sol Phoenix, Arizona SC Wave Franklin, Wisconsin 2021–22 Seacoast United Hampton, New Hampshire Seattle Sounders FC Academy Tukwila, Washington Shattuck-St. Mary's Faribault, Minnesota Sheriffs Futbol Club Hayward, California Silicon Valley SA Palo Alto, California SoCal Reds FC Irvine, California 2022–23 Sockers FC Chicago Palatine, Illinois Solar SC Allen, Texas South Florida FA Boca Raton, Florida Southern Soccer Academy Atlanta, Georgia Southern States Soccer Club Hattiesburg, Mississippi 2024–25 Sporting Athletic Club Wilmington, Delaware 2023–24 Sporting Kansas City Academy Kansas City, Kansas Sporting City Kansas City, Missouri Springfield South County Youth Club Springfield, Virginia Strikers FC Irvine, California 2021–22 St. Louis City SC St. Louis, Missouri 2021–22 St. Louis Scott Gallagher Fenton, Missouri Tampa Bay United Rowdies Tampa, Florida Tormenta FC Statesboro, Georgia 2021–22 Toronto FC Academy Toronto, Ontario Total Futbol Academy Los Angeles, California Total Football Club Katy, Texas Triangle United Soccer Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2022–23 TSF Academy Lincoln Park, New Jersey Valeo Futbol Club Newton, Massachusetts West Virginia Soccer Shepherdstown, West Virginia 2023–24 Vancouver Whitecaps FC Academy Vancouver, British Columbia VARDAR Soccer Club Rochester Hills, Michigan Ventura County Fusion Ventura County, California Wake Futbol Club Holly Springs, North Carolina 2021–22 West Florida Flames Brandon, Florida (Greater Tampa Bay Area) Weston FC Weston, Florida Woodside Soccer Club Crush Redwood City, California 2021–22
References
External links MLS Next