Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT have announced details for the 2026 Generation adidas Cup, which will mark the largest and most competitive tournament to date.
This year's edition of the premier international youth competition will feature 88 teams, including an expanded Girls Division with eight teams, representing 14 different countries and four continents. International powerhouses FC Barcelona, FC Bayern and Boca Juniors will be among the clubs competing against MLS academies at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida from March 27 – April 4.
The 80 boys teams will be split evenly at the U16 and U15 age groups and will include two MLS NEXT Elite Academies and one MLS NEXT Pro Academy, which qualified via their performances at MLS NEXT Fest in December 2025.
How to Watch
Twenty (20) Generation adidas Cup games, including championship matches in both age groups and Girls Division, will stream live on the MLS YouTube page.
Further Generation adidas Cup broadcast details, including the announcers and schedule of streamed matches, will be announced in the lead-up to the tournament.
Expanded Girls Division
After a successful inaugural competition, the 2026 Generation adidas Cup will feature an expanded Girls Division.
Four All-Star teams of top domestic Girls Academy prospects and four of the best international girls teams in the world - Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Club América and an All-Star team from Japan’s W.E. League - will compete for this year's trophy.
International presence
The 2026 Generation adidas Cup will see 18 international clubs competing in U16 and U15 age groups. The tournament will include multiple clubs from four different continents: Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.
Among the prestigious clubs attending are first-time participants FC Barcelona (U15), Boca Juniors (U16), and VfL Wolfsburg (U16). Slavia Prague from Czechia will become the country's first club to compete in the tournament.
U16 international clubs
- Boca Juniors - Argentina
- Busan IPark FC - South Korea
- CAI de la Chorerra - Panama
- Club América - Mexico
- CF Monterrey - Mexico
- F.C. Copenhagen - Denmark
- Nagoya Grampus - Japan
- Red Bull Bragantino - Brazil
- SK Slavia Prague - Czechia
- VfL Wolfsburg - Germany
U15 international clubs
- FC Barcelona - Spain
- FC Bayern - Germany
- Mile Gully FC - Jamaica
- PSV - Netherlands
- RSC Anderlecht - Belgium
- Seongnam FC - South Korea
- Toulouse FC - France
- Valencia CF - Spain
MLS Academies
Two MLS NEXT Elite Academies - Cedar Stars Academy Bergen (U16) and Sockers FC Chicago (U15) - and one MLS NEXT Pro Academy - Connecticut United FC (U15) - qualified for Generation adidas Cup via their performances at MLS NEXT Fest in December 2025.
Competition Structure
- Forty teams, organized into 10 groups of four, will compete in each of the two age groups.
- Group draws will be random, utilizing buckets categorized by division for MLS academies, while international clubs will be drawn randomly.
- Sixteen teams will advance to the single-elimination championship bracket, comprising the 10 group winners and the top six second-place finishers.
- The next-best 16 teams will enter a consolation bracket, with the final eight teams competing in consolation groups to provide additional competitive matches.
- All teams competing in the 2025 Generation adidas Cup are guaranteed to play six 60-minute matches, comprised of two 30-minute halves.
- The championship matches in both age groups will be extended to 70-minute matches.
- All contests that are tied at the end of regulation will go directly to a penalty kick
shootout.
Awards
At the conclusion of the tournament, awards will be presented in both age groups, recognizing the Most Valuable Player presented by adidas, Top Scorer, and Top Defensive Player.
The Best XI presented by adidas will highlight the top-performing players from each position at the competition, and the Rising XI presented by adidas will highlight the next generation of talent.
What they're saying
Ali Curtis, President, MLS NEXT Pro and Executive Vice President, MLS
Sporting Development
“The continued evolution of Generation adidas Cup highlights the strength and ambition of MLS’ player development pathway, This tournament exemplifies the shared commitment of MLS and adidas to delivering a world-class platform for the game’s top emerging talent to compete on a global stage.”
