FRISCO, Texas (Aug. 19, 2025) — The field of teams that is set to compete in the upcoming season’s National League Winter Events has been announced.
November 2025 Event
January 2026 Event
Please note: Teams are subject to change, and teams on waiting lists may be included should additional teams/groups be added to either the November or January event.
“These events will be full of proven teams that have earned the opportunity to compete by excelling in their recent National League competitions,” said Marc Frankland, National League general manager. “We are excited to see some great performances as these teams and players get a chance to compete for berths to the 2026 postseason.”
The winter events, which are open to only teams playing in the National League, present participating teams with opportunities to qualify for the 2026 USYS National Championships, presented by New York Life, and the inaugural edition of The National League Cup.
Each winter event will take place at the Arizona Athletic Grounds, in Mesa, Ariz., and participating teams will play at one of the two event options. Competition is available for boys and girls teams that are playing in the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U and 19U age groups during the 2025-26 youth soccer season.
Among US Youth Soccer State Associations, Cal South leads the way with 35 teams playing in the winter events, followed by New Jersey with 28 teams. Illinois has 24 teams, Indiana has 23 and Ohio has 21. Six additional states have at least 10 teams competing, and 37 total state associations are represented in the winter events’ field of teams.
The field of teams for the winter events includes 53 sides that competed at the 2025 USYS National Championships.
Teams were accepted for the winter events based on their history of performance — giving any applying team the chance to earn its way into the highly competitive field. Within each age group, up to 40 total teams will compete in the winter events, with the teams divided among the two events.
At the events, teams are split into five groups of four, and each team plays its three group opponents over three days. Teams earn 3 points for a win, 1 point for a draw and 0 points for a loss.
Teams that finish in first or second place in their four-team group will advance to a postseason event, with top finishers moving on to the 2026 USYS National Championships as a National League representative. Age groups with larger team counts will see the remaining top-two finishers advance to The National League Cup Playoffs, with the number of advancement spots dependent on the number of teams competing in each respective age group.
About The National League: Established in 2007, The National League represents the top league platform in US Youth Soccer and offers both team-based and club-based league formats across the country. National League teams experience high-level localized competition with national connectivity through events and The National League Cup — an annual postseason competition that determines the league’s best team in each age group.