MESA, Ariz. (Feb. 1, 2026) — Three exciting days of play at the National League winter event in Mesa, Ariz., saw the remaining National League representatives punch their ticket to the 2026 USYS National Championships, presented by New York Life. Additionally, several other sides secured postseason spots in The National League Cup Playoffs this June.
Each of the teams advancing to one of the postseason competitions finished in the top two of their four-team group in Mesa — proving themselves against some of the top competition from across the National League.
KCL Academy Red 09B (KS), a finalist at Nationals in 2025, used its big-game experience to secure 2-0 victory in a must-win game on Sunday. Combined with the other result in 17U Boys Group E, the win helped KC Legends return to the National Championships for another shot at glory.
“It feels great getting back to Nationals,” KC Legends 09B midfielder Daniel Sanchez said. “Last year, we ended up losing in the final. It wasn’t the best feeling. Going into the season, we were looking forward to getting back to the final, changing it up, and winning it all this year.”
National Championships | Girls Qualifiers via NL
National Championships | Boys Qualifiers via NL
This weekend’s games in Mesa featured top boys and girls teams in the 14U-19U age groups from the National League’s club-based and team-based divisions, as each competing side earned its place in the event through its performance in league competitions over the past season.
The first-place teams that qualified for the National Championships came from 18 different USYS State Associations, led by Illinois’ nine.
Expanding to all postseason qualifiers, 26 different USYS State Associations saw teams finish in the top two of their four-team groups in Mesa. Indiana and Ohio led the way with 14 teams that earned a postseason berth, followed by Illinois (12), New Jersey (11) and Eastern New York (10).
Twenty-three clubs had at least two teams earn a postseason berth via the January event, with Fort Wayne United (IN) leading the way with six, followed by Atlantic United (NY-E) with four advancing teams.
A complete list of teams that have already qualified for The National League Cup Playoffs will be publicized in the coming days on TheNationalLeague.com and the National League social media channels.
The National League Cup will hold its playoff events over two weekends — June 12-14 and June 19-21 — with each playoff taking place over three days. Teams that advance from the playoffs will move on to The National League Cup Finals, which take place July 7-9 in St. Louis.
The US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by New York Life, will take place July 13-23, with boys playing in Utah and girls playing in Tennessee.
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Visit the National League website for more information on its national events and league formats.