St. Louis CITY SC Academy U-17 and U-19 teams have clinched berths to compete in the 2026 MLS NEXT Cup in Salt Lake City, Utah from May 23-31. The single-elimination knockout tournament will conclude with two championship matches held on May 31 for both respective age groups.
The tournament consists of 32 of the top teams in four different age groups (U15, U16, U17, U19) that qualified for the tournament based on league play or by winning their respective group at MLS NEXT Flex.
The 17s qualified for the cup-based off league play, as they tied Minnesota United FC 1-1 in their final match of the season to qualify them for the tournament. This spring season, the U-17s went 4-3-2, including a four-match unbeaten run to close out the regular season. For CITY SC’s U-19 squad, they qualified for this year’s cup by defeating Vancouver Whitecaps FC during the 2026 MLS NEXT Flex. The U-19s finished the regular season with a 5-1-2 record highlighted by making it to the semifinal of the 2026 Dallas Cup.
The U-17 boys will open tournament play facing off against FC Dallas in the Round of 32. If the squad were to advance to the Round of 16, they would take on either Orlando City SC or New York SC. The U-19 boys begin their tournament against New England Revolution in the Round of 32. They could face the winner of Austin FC and Cedar Stars Academy Bergen in the Round of 16.
The MLS NEXT Cup playoff schedule can be found below:
U17
May 24: vs. FC Dallas at 11:15 a.m. CT
U19
May 24: vs. New England Revolution at 6 p.m. CT
22 MLS NEXT Cup games, including all eight championship matches, will stream live on MLS’ YouTube page. Follow along on St. Louis CITY SC’s Academy Instagram and X accounts to stay updated with tournament news.
