The 2026 MLS Next Pro season is the fifth season of MLS Next Pro, the second-tier league of Major League Soccer. The regular season began on February 27 and ended on September 20, with playoffs following from October 11 to November 8.

Teams Stadiums and locations

Team Stadium Capacity Atlanta United 2 Fifth Third Stadium 10,200 Austin FC II Parmer Field 1,000 Carolina Core FC Truist Point 4,500 Chattanooga FC Finley Stadium 20,412 Chicago Fire FC II SeatGeek Stadium 20,000 FC Cincinnati 2 NKU Soccer Stadium 1,000 Colorado Rapids 2 Denver Soccer Stadium 2,000 Columbus Crew 2 Historic Crew Stadium 19,968 Crown Legacy FC Sportsplex at Matthews 5,000 CT United FC Morrone Stadium Reese Stadium 5,300 3,000 Houston Dynamo 2 SaberCats Stadium 3,200 Huntsville City FC Joe W. Davis Stadium 6,000 Inter Miami CF II Chase Stadium 21,000 Alt URL Los Angeles FC 2 Titan Stadium 10,000 Minnesota United FC 2 National Sports Center 5,500 New England Revolution II Beirne Stadium 4,400 New York City FC II Belson Stadium 2,168 New York Red Bulls II MSU Soccer Park at Pittser Field 5,000 North Texas SC Texas Health Mansfield Stadium 7,000 Orlando City B Osceola County Stadium 5,300 Philadelphia Union II Subaru Park 18,500 Portland Timbers 2 Providence Park 25,218 Real Monarchs Zions Bank Stadium 5,000 San Jose Earthquakes II Saint Mary's Stadium 5,500 Sporting Kansas City II Swope Soccer Village 3,500 St. Louis City 2 Energizer Park 22,423 Tacoma Defiance Starfire Sports Complex 4,500 Toronto FC II York Lions Stadium 4,000 Ventura County FC William Rolland Stadium 3,000 Whitecaps FC 2 Swangard Stadium 5,288

Personnel and sponsorship Team Head coachSponsors Atlanta United 2 Emory Healthcare Austin FC II — Carolina Core FC Jake Davis (interim)Go-Fourth Home Services Chattanooga FC (interim)Erlanger Health Chicago Fire FC II Carvana FC Cincinnati 2 — Colorado Rapids 2 University of Colorado Health Columbus Crew 2 Chris Rogers (interim)OhioHealth Crown Legacy FC Ally Financial CT United FC PHYND Houston Dynamo 2 Jeremy Hurdle— Huntsville City FC Chris O'NealRenasant Bank Inter Miami CF II — Los Angeles FC 2 Minnesota United FC 2 New England Revolution II New York City FC II New York Red Bulls II Red Bull North Texas SC Children's HealthUT-Southwestern Orlando City B Julian Vergara (interim)Orlando Health Philadelphia Union II Bimbo Bakeries Portland Timbers 2 — Real Monarchs Makers Line San Jose Earthquakes II — Sporting Kansas City II Central Bank of the Midwest St. Louis City 2 — Tacoma Defiance MultiCare Health System Toronto FC II BMO Ventura County FC Ventura County Credit Union Whitecaps FC 2 TELUS

Coaching changes Team Outgoing coach Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Incoming coach Date of appointment Austin FC II Brett Uttley Contract expired November 21, 2025 9th in West Jason Shackell November 21, 2025 Atlanta United 2 Steve Cooke Left to join Lexington SC July 23, 2025 10th in East Jose Silva Caparros December 15, 2025 New England Revolution II Richie Williams Contract expired November 5, 2025 3rd in East Pablo Moreira December 3, 2025 FC Cincinnati 2 Tyrone Marshall Not retained December 8, 2025 7th in East Sammy Castellanos January 8, 2026 Minnesota United FC 2 Jeremy Hall Left to join the United States U18 January 7, 2026 11th in West Fanendo Adi January 15, 2026 New York Red Bulls II Michael Bradley Promoted to first team December 15, 2025 1st in East Dominik Wohlert January 21, 2026 Crown Legacy FC Gary Dicker Promoted to first team January 21, 2026 13th in East Kevin Sawchak January 21, 2026 Portland Timbers 2 Serge Dinkota Option Declined October 13, 2025 10th in West Jack Cassidy January 28, 2026 Chattanooga FC Chris Nugent Mutual parting February 2, 2026 4th in East Richard Dixon (interim) February 2, 2026 Sporting Kansas City II István Urbányi Relieved of duties August 12, 2025 14th in West Lee Tschantret February 3, 2026 Tacoma Defiance Hervé Diese Relieved of duties July 23, 2025 12th in West Paulo Nagamura February 3, 2026 Los Angeles FC 2 Junior Gonzalez Not retained December 23, 2025 13th in West Fabian Sandoval February 11, 2026 Whitecaps FC 2 Ricardo Clark Left to join Seattle Sounders FC January 12, 2026 7th in West Rich Fagan February 25, 2026 Orlando City B Manuel Goldberg Promoted to first team assistant March 11, 2026 11th in East Julian Vergara (interim) March 11, 2026 Carolina Core FC Donovan Ricketts Reorganization May 26, 2026 14th in East Jake Davis (interim) May 26, 2026 Columbus Crew 2Federico HiguainFired for physical abuse and sexism to a female referee.September 22, 20264th in East Chris Rogers (interim)September 23, 2026

Regular season Each team plays 28 matches during the regular season in a mostly regionalized schedule. Each conference is divided into divisions of seven or eight teams for scheduling. The top nine teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs, up from eight teams as was the case in previous seasons.

Conference standings Eastern Conference

Western Conference

Overall table

Player statistics

Goals RankPlayerClubGoals1 Arif KovacAtlanta United 2202 Alex KrehlChattanooga FC183 Barnabas TanyiCT United FC164 Myles MorganNew England Revolution II14 Hugo MbongueCrown Legacy FC6 Austin BrummettHouston Dynamo 213 Mark BronnikTacoma Defiance Julian PlaciasVentura County FC9 Darius RandellMinnesota United FC 212 Arnaud TattevinCarolina Core FC Zachary BohaneSan Jose Earthquakes II Kevin GbambléColumbus Crew 2

Hat-tricks +PlayerTeamAgainstScoreDate Marcus Caldeira Minnesota United FC 2 Austin FC II2–4 (A)March 1 Edouard Nys North Texas SC Colorado Rapids 23–1 (H)March 7 Arif Kovac5 Atlanta United 2 Huntsville City FC2–6 (A)May 16 Nathaniel James North Texas SC Sporting KC II5–1 (H)May 16 Marcus Caldeira Minnesota United FC 2 St. Louis City 25–2 (H)June 20 Dennis Nelich Red Bull New York II Philadelphia Union II5–0 (H)June 28 Eddy Davis III Philadelphia Union II New England Revolution II0–4 (A)July 5 Arnaud Tattevin Carolina Core FC Atlanta United 23–3 (A)July 31 Jason Shokalook Chicago Fire FC II FC Cincinnati 27–2 (H)August 2 Alex Krehl Chattanooga FC Carolina Core FC5–2 (H)August 29 Darius Randell Minnesota United FC 2 Whitecaps FC 25–1 (H)September 12 Bryan Destin CT United FC Inter Miami CF II7–2 (H)September 20 Barnabas Tanyi CT United FC Inter Miami CF II7–2 (H)September 20

Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team

Assists RankPlayerClubAssists1 Cameron DunbarAtlanta United 2132 Kevin GbambléColumbus Crew 2113 Nathan RichmondCrown Legacy FC104 Tate RobertsonChattanooga FC9 Riley LynchSt. Louis City 26 Julian PlaciasVentura County FC8 Charlie GaffneyTacoma Defiance7 Barnabas TanyiCT United FC7 Edouard NysNorth Texas SC Palmer AultSt. Louis City 2 Alex MonisCT United FC Daniel D'lppolitoCT United FC Issah HarunaOrlando City B Damyan VillanuevaChicago Fire FC II Dennis GjengaarRed Bull New York II Fletcher BankToronto FC II Carson RassakWhitecaps FC 2 Daniel MangarovChattanooga FC

Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Sam JosephPortland Timbers 2122 Sebastian ConlonVentura County FC8 Eldin JakupovićChattanooga FC Erik LautaAustin FC II5 Charlie FarrarAustin FC II76 Will MackayHuntsville City FC6 Mac LearnedNYCFC II Luke PruterColumbus Crew 2 Colin WelshSt. Louis City 210 Pedro CruzHouston Dynamo 25 Nick HollidayCarolina Core FC Max AnchorTacoma Defiance

Playoffs

The playoffs feature 17 single elimination matches over four consecutive weekends, beginning October 11 and culminating with the MLS Next Pro Cup on November 6–8.

The top nine teams in each conference qualified for the playoffs. New in 2026, the play-in round sees teams ranked 8th and 9th contest each other to advance as the eighth seed. Matchups during the next two rounds were determined through the pick-your-opponent format within each conference. Firstly, teams ranked first, second, and third have the right to, in order of ranking, picked their opponent who must have been ranked fifth through eighth. In the next round, the highest ranked team remaining picks an opponent from the two lowest ranked teams remaining.

Bracket

Play-in Round

Conference Quarterfinals

League awards Individual awards AwardWinnerTeamGolden Boot Arif Kovac Atlanta United 2Playmaker of the Year Cameron Dunbar Atlanta United 2Pathway Player of the Year Defender of the Year Goalkeeper of the Year Coach of the Year Most Valuable Player

Monthly awards WeekPlayer of the MonthRising Star of the MonthGoalkeeper of the MonthCoach of the MonthTeam of the Month Player Club Player Club Player Club Player ClubMarch Rodolfo AlokoCrown Legacy FC Dylan VanneyVentura County FC Pedro CruzHouston Dynamo 2 Jeremy HurdleHouston Dynamo 2Crown Legacy FCApril Riley LynchSt. Louis City 2 Dylan VanneyVentura County FC Pedro CruzHouston Dynamo 2 Jeremy HurdleHouston Dynamo 2Houston Dynamo 2May Van ParkerReal Monarchs Erick FelicianoAustin FC II Erik LautaAustin FC II Pablo MoreiraNew England Revolution IIAustin FC IIJune Marcus CaldeiraMinnesota United FC 2 Carson RassackWhitecaps FC 2 Erik LautaAustin FC II Jason ShackellAustin FC IIAustin FC IIJuly Arnaud TattevinCarolina Core FC Matthew Jean BaptisteNew England Revolution II Sam JosephPortland Timbers 2 Shavar ThomasCT United FCHouston Dynamo 2August Barnabás TanyiCT United FC Liam LambertLos Angeles FC 2 Sam JosephPortland Timbers 2 Shavar ThomasCT United FCPortland Timbers 2

Weekly awards