Squadora™Guide
Where MLS NEXT sits in the youth soccer pyramid
MLS NEXT is one of two national leagues at the top of the boys' side of the youth soccer pyramid. Here is where it sits next to the ECNL, how big it is, and what changed for 2026-27.
Facts as of October 20, 2026. Every line names the page it comes from.
In short
- MLS NEXT is in the national top tier of the boys' pyramid, alongside ECNL Boys.
- It runs two divisions, the Homegrown Division and the Academy Division, and added a new competition tier in 2025.
- For 2026-27 the Academy Division groups players by school year, and the Homegrown Division keeps birth years.
MLS NEXT and the ECNL, side by side
In this pyramid MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys sit in the same national top tier. Which one sits highest is argued about, so they are shown together, not ranked.
National top
BoysMLS NEXT, the Homegrown Division and the Academy Division. ECNL Boys.
What changed for MLS NEXT in 2026-27
MLS NEXT splits: the Academy Division moves to the school year, and the Homegrown Division keeps birth years, January 1 to December 31.
What it means for you: a boy in MLS NEXT can sit in a different age group depending on the division. Ask the club whether the team plays Homegrown, grouped by birth year, or Academy, grouped by school year.
Questions people ask
Is MLS NEXT the highest level of youth soccer?
For boys, MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys run the top national leagues. Which one sits highest is argued about, so this page shows them side by side.
How big is MLS NEXT?
MLS NEXT's 2025-26 season has 29 MLS academies and 244 Elite Academies, 2,189 teams and over 43,000 players in the US and Canada.