Sporting Kansas City's U-18s and U-16s will conclude the first half of the 2025-26 MLS NEXT season at MLS NEXT Fest in Mesa, Arizona, from December 4-9. With more than 30,000 players, 2025 MLS NEXT Fest will mark the largest youth soccer scouting and talent identification event in the United States. The event will include 1,474 teams from more than 250 different clubs with 2,400 matches in front of over 500 professional, national team and college coaches in attendance.
Sporting's U-18s, led by head coach Lee Tschantret, open the tournament on Thursday afternoon against the Seattle Sounders before taking on Inter Miami and Nashville SC to conclude the competition. The U-16s, guided by Angel Rivillo, will face Real Salt Lake on Saturday before matching up with Nashville SC and the Houston Dynamo.
The U-18 and U-16 MLS NEXT Fest rosters can be found here.
Opponent | Date | Time (MT) |
|---|---|---|
Seattle Sounders FC | Thursday, Dec. 4 | 3:45 p.m. |
Inter Miami CF | Friday, Dec. 5 | 9:00 a.m. |
Nashville SC | Sunday, Dec. 7 | 10:00 a.m. |
Opponent | Date | Time (MT) |
|---|---|---|
Real Salt Lake | Saturday, Dec. 6 | 9:00 a.m. |
Nashville SC | Monday, Dec. 8 | 8:00 a.m. |
Houston Dynamo FC | Tuesady, Dec. 9 | 10:45 a.m. |
“MLS NEXT Fest brings together the top youth teams from across the United States and Canada, and it continues to stand as the best winter recruiting event in North America,” said MLS NEXT Technical Director Luis Robles. “With the introduction of the MLS NEXT Academy Division this year, we are proud to make this the largest event in our program’s history. We expect more than 1,400 teams from both the Homegrown and Academy divisions to participate, along with nearly 500 college scouts representing approximately 250 collegiate programs in attendance.”
Teams at MLS NEXT Fest will play three games in four days with matches scheduled based on division, past event competition, and standings from the MLS NEXT regular season, allowing clubs to play a variety of opponents from across the country. Players participating in MLS NEXT Fest are also eligible to be selected for MLS NEXT Fest Best Of matches, which consist of two games in the U17 age group on December 7, where top players compete against one another in front of evaluators. There will also be four ‘Uncommitted Matches’ for U19 players who are not yet committed to college, with all four matches occurring on December 6.
The full schedule of MLS NEXT Fest matches will be available **HERE** and to view and download MLS NEXT Fest logos, please click **HERE**.
About MLS NEXT
Launched in 2020, MLS NEXT is the most elite platform for youth player development in North America. With a commitment to innovation and inclusion, MLS NEXT players receive the best training and coaching as they prepare for their futures, both on and off the field. Throughout a season, MLS NEXT hosts four marquee events across the country, including the Generation adidas Cup, which features MLS academies playing against the top international clubs. With the addition of the new MLS NEXT Academy Division in 2025, membership for the 2025-26 season will include 30 MLS academies, 244 Elite Academies (274 total clubs), 2,189 teams and over 43,000 players across the U.S. and Canada. Official partners of MLS NEXT include adidas, Allstate, and Más+ by Messi. For more information about MLS NEXT, visit www.mlssoccer.com/mlsnext.
