Three ECNL RL Clubs Promoted to Full ECNL Membership for 2026/27

ECNL graphic showing Team Boca, Lonestar SC, and South Carolina Surf girls teams celebrating promotion from ECNL RL to full ECNL Girls membership for the 2026-27 season.

The ECNL Girls has promoted three clubs from the ECNL Regional League Girls into full ECNL membership for the 2026–27 season, a visible sign that the league’s performance-based pathway is taking hold. Team Boca will join the Southeast Conference, Lonestar SC will compete in the Texas Conference, and South Carolina Surf will enter the Mid-Atlantic […]

No Travel Team Required: World Cup 2026 Grants Boost School‑Based Soccer

U.S. Soccer, FIFA World Cup 26 and Georgia Soccer logos representing Innovate to Grow school‑based youth soccer funding in Atlanta and beyond.

As World Cup 2026 approaches, U.S. Soccer’s Innovate to Grow (ITG) funding is quietly turning schools and after‑school programs into the front line of soccer growth—giving kids, especially in underserved communities, new chances to play without the usual travel‑team price tag. Many of the newest ITG‑backed projects are built around school‑day or after‑school access, local […]

ECNL Unveils Conference League Playoffs Launching in 2027

Pyramid graphic of the American youth soccer pathway showing localized competition, NPL and National League, ECNL Regional League, and ECNL tiers leading to Conference League Playoffs.

Graphic credit: ECNL The Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) has announced a major expansion of its postseason structure, with new Conference League Playoffs set to launch in the 2026–27 season and debut on the field in summer 2027.  The move creates an additional competitive tier designed to better connect club-based and team-based platforms across the […]

100 Days to World Cup: U.S. Soccer Rolls Out Inclusive Fan Fests and Free Youth Soccer Events Across the U.S.

U.S. youth soccer players and fans celebrating 100 days to the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup with inclusive Soccer Forward Fest activities and fan experiences in their community.

PRESS RELEASE  With 100 Days to FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026, U.S. Soccer Announces Nationwide Fan Celebrations, Soccer Forward Fests and Coast-to-Coast Experiences    U.S. Soccer House in Los Angeles, a live Roster Reveal in New York City, and Community-Driven Soccer Forward Fests across the country headline the fan-first road to 2026 ATLANTA (March 3, 2026) - The countdown to the FIFA Men’s World Cup 2026 continues.  With 100 days remaining, […]

2026 SheBelieves Cup Kicks Off with USWNT Win

USWNT 2026 SheBelieves Cup graphic showing fixtures vs Argentina in Nashville, Canada in Columbus, and Colombia in Harrison, New Jersey from March 1–7, 2026.

The U.S. Women’s National Team has opened the 2026 SheBelieves Cup presented by Visa with a confident 2-0 win over Argentina, setting the tone for a tournament that brings together four of the top teams in the Americas.  Now in its 11th edition, the SheBelieves Cup is a four-team, round-robin invitational, with each team playing […]

USYS National League and NPL Combine to Form New Top‑Tier Youth Soccer League

US Club Soccer, US Youth Soccer, USYS National League, and NPL logos representing new unified top‑tier youth soccer league structure

US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer have formally announced the first group of operators for a new national youth league that will sit at the top of both organizations’ team‑based structures beginning with the 2026‑27 season. The announcement was expected, as we’ve reported previously and it confirms that this new league—currently using the working […]

AYSO Spring 2026 ACL Injury-Prevention Initiative Launch

AYSO and Cedars-Sinai logos side by side representing a national youth soccer ACL injury-prevention partnership for Spring 2026.

Press Release AYSO and Cedars-Sinai expand their partnership to deliver elite medical insights, injury-prevention tools, and safer training for U.S. youth soccer players. “This renewed partnership with Cedars-Sinai sets a new national standard for youth athlete health and safety. AYSO players deserve the very best, and we’re committed to delivering it.” — Doug Ryan, President, […]

US Club Soccer Hosts 2026 id2 National Camps for 2012 Standouts

id2 logo representing the US Club Soccer id2 National Camps

More than 100 twelve‑year‑old boys from across the country are in Chula Vista, California this week for US Club Soccer’s 2026 id2 Boys National Training Camp, one of the highest‑profile identification events on the youth soccer calendar. The boys’ camp follows immediately on the heels of last week’s id2 Girls National Training Camp at the […]

National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) to be Featured in ESPN Primetime

ESPN is replacing its long-running “Sunday Night Baseball" with women’s sports, anchored by marquee WNBA and NWSL Under the banner of Women’s Sports Sundays

ESPN is replacing its long-running “Sunday Night Baseball” franchise with a new summer primetime block dedicated to women’s sports, anchored by marquee WNBA and NWSL matchups under the banner “Women’s Sports Sundays.” Disney-owned ESPN announced that beginning in summer 2026 it will debut “Women’s Sports Sundays,” a nine-week Sunday night primetime series built around top-tier […]

Allstate Secures Naming Rights to MLS NEXT Homegrown Division

Allstate Homegrown Division logo combining Allstate and MLS NEXT branding for the league’s top youth tier

Allstate has secured naming rights to the top tier of MLS NEXT, with the elite youth platform’s primary division now branded as the Allstate Homegrown Division ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The deal deepens a long-running relationship between Allstate and Major League Soccer and positions the insurer even closer to the core of […]