MLS NEXT tryouts 2026: how they work, ages and costs
This guide explains how MLS NEXT tryouts work for parents. MLS NEXT is the top boys’ youth soccer league run by Major League Soccer (MLS). It covers ages, cost, how players get seen, the 2026-27 calendar, and MLS NEXT compared with ECNL. Updated October 16, 2026.
The short answer
There is no single MLS NEXT tryout. Each club runs its own. MLS academies, which belong to MLS pro clubs, mostly pick players by scouting and invitation, and many are free. Independent clubs in the league often hold open tryouts and set their own fees. Find your club below, then read its page for dates and cost.
What MLS NEXT is
MLS NEXT started in 2020. It is a league for boys. For 2026-27, MLS says it is the seventh and biggest season: more than 53,000 players, 2,743 teams and 310 clubs, including all 30 MLS academies, in the United States and Canada.
There are six age groups: U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19. The number is the age limit. A U13 team is for players under 13. Players are placed by birth year, not by school grade.
Some clubs are MLS academies, run by an MLS pro club. Others are Elite Academies, which are independent clubs that play in the league. The league has two levels of play, called the Homegrown Division and the Academy Division.
MLS academy or member club: who pays?
MLS academies. Many are free. Colorado Rapids says players do not pay, and the club covers coaching, facilities, registration, travel, meals and equipment. Nashville SC calls its academy fully funded and free to play. Other clubs do not state the cost on the pages we checked, so we say so on each club page.
Independent clubs. The league does not set the price. The club does. Third-party guides from 2026 report fees of a few thousand dollars a year, plus travel and gear. These are reports, not official prices. Check the club’s fee page.
Scholarships. Since the 2025-26 season, MLS NEXT requires every club to give at least one scholarship each season, worth the full cost of playing. Ask the club how to apply.
How players get seen
- Club scouting. Scouts watch club and league games. The club usually contacts the current club first. See each club page for its rules.
- Open or paid events. Some clubs run ID camps, talent centers or open tryouts. Check whether the event is the academy itself or a separate paid program. Several clubs say it is separate.
- Interest forms. Many academies take an online form. They usually reply only if they want to see the player.
- League events. MLS NEXT Talent ID ran October 9 to 12, 2026 in 13 MLS markets. MLS says more than 1,300 prospects trained at MLS club facilities, found through club scouting networks and a video platform. MLS NEXT Fest in December is the largest youth soccer scouting event in North America, with pro, national team and college scouts.
This guide describes how clubs work. It does not predict any one child’s chances.
The 2026-27 calendar
Source: MLSsoccer.com, October 5, 2026. Club tryout dates are different from league dates. Examples we found: Portland Timbers Discovery Juniors tryouts, August 22 to 23, 2026; Austin FC Center of Excellence open trial, October 9, 2026; St. Louis CITY SC tryout for players born 2011 and 2012, June 9 to 10. Always check the club page.
MLS NEXT Pro tryouts are different
MLS NEXT Pro is the pro league for MLS clubs’ second teams. Its open tryouts are for adults. The LA Galaxy lists theirs for male players aged 17 to 25: two 60-minute 9v9 games over two days, a $195 fee, and players pay their own travel. The next dates it lists are November 21 to 22, 2026 in Las Vegas. This is not a youth academy tryout. See the LA Galaxy guide.
MLS NEXT vs ECNL
ECNL means Elite Clubs National League. It began in 2009 as a girls’ league and added boys in 2017. MLS NEXT is boys only. For girls, the usual top choices are ECNL or Girls Academy.
Sources: the high school and age details come from Soccer Untangled (June 2026), which quotes the league rulebooks. ClubScout and Solstice FC (2026) give the cost views. These are independent guides, so check the current rules with the club.
MLS academy tryouts, club by club
Each guide says whether the club holds open tryouts, the ages, the cost where the club states it, and how to get noticed. We checked each club’s own pages. The date is on each page.
Not listed yet: the three Canadian MLS clubs. Also see the full MLS academies hub, the youth soccer tryouts calendar and local youth clubs.
Practice reading the game while you wait
Soccer IQ is how a player decides what to do before the ball arrives. Our Soccer IQ game shows short match moments and asks your child to choose. It is a free early version. It is for practice, not for predicting who will be picked.
MLS NEXT tryout questions
Does MLS NEXT hold tryouts?
MLS NEXT is a league, not a team, so each club runs its own process. MLS academies mostly find players by scouting, invitations and ID events. Many independent clubs in the league hold open tryouts. Check the club’s own page for dates.
What ages does MLS NEXT cover?
MLS NEXT has six age groups: U13, U14, U15, U16, U17 and U19. U13 means players under 13. It is a boys’ league.
Is MLS NEXT free?
It depends on the club. Two MLS academies, Colorado Rapids and Nashville SC, say on their own pages that players do not pay. Independent clubs in the league set their own fees. Since the 2025-26 season, MLS NEXT has required every club to give at least one full scholarship each season.
What is the difference between an MLS academy and an MLS NEXT Elite Academy?
An MLS academy is run by an MLS pro club, such as LAFC. An Elite Academy is an independent club that plays in MLS NEXT. All 30 MLS academies play in MLS NEXT in 2026-27, together with Elite Academies.
MLS NEXT or ECNL?
MLS NEXT is boys only. ECNL (Elite Clubs National League) has boys and girls. Both are run by clubs that set their own prices. High school soccer rules also differ. See the comparison on this page, then ask the club in writing.
When is the best time to try out?
Dates differ by club. The clubs we checked list tryouts or ID events in the spring, summer and fall. The MLS NEXT season starts in early September. Use the dates on each club’s page, and sign up for alerts on this page.
What are MLS NEXT Pro tryouts?
MLS NEXT Pro is the pro league for MLS clubs’ second teams. Its open tryouts are for adults, not children. For example, the LA Galaxy lists them for male players aged 17 to 25, with a $195 fee.
- MLS NEXT, What is MLS NEXT? ↗
- MLSsoccer.com, 2026-27 MLS NEXT schedule: key dates (Oct 5, 2026) ↗
- MLS NEXT, Homegrown Division ↗
- MLSsoccer.com, MLS NEXT 2025-26 initiatives, including scholarships (Aug 19, 2025) ↗
- Colorado Rapids, Academy FAQ (cost) ↗
- Nashville SC, Academy (cost) ↗
- LA Galaxy, MLS NEXT Pro tryouts ↗
- Soccer Untangled, MLS NEXT vs ECNL (Boys), Jun 2026 (third party) ↗
- ClubScout, MLS NEXT vs ECNL, Feb 2026 (third party) ↗
- Solstice FC, ECNL vs MLS NEXT costs, Mar 2026 (third party) ↗
Coaching a younger team? Try our free soccer lineup generator for 7v7, 9v9 and 11v11.
Updated October 16, 2026. For league and college numbers, see Youth soccer in the US: the numbers. Academy Parent is independent and is not linked to MLS, any club or league. Spotted a change? Tell us.