MLS NEXT FEST 2024 LAFC U17 ACADEMY VS REAL COLORADO HIGHLIGHTS

MLS NEXT Fest, the premier winter showcase event in North American youth soccer, will kick off on Friday, December 6 at the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, Calif. and run through Wednesday, December 11. More than 400 of the best youth soccer teams will compete at the fourth-annual edition of the competition, featuring nearly 630 matches and over 7,000 players. MLS NEXT Fest provides an opportunity for top talent within the program to be evaluated by college, national team, and professional scouts. For the first time in the event’s history, MLS NEXT Fest will feature an opportunity for MLS NEXT Elite Academies to qualify for the 2025 Generation adidas Cup. Sixteen teams in both the U16 and U19 age groups will compete in a single-elimination tournament where the winner will earn a spot in the illustrious Generation adidas Cup. The 16 teams in each age group earned a spot in the qualifying tournament by finishing the fall in the top two of their division’s power rankings. The power rankings were compiled through an analytical formula that considered strength of schedule and points earned, among other factors and were published weekly on MLS NEXT’s social media accounts. “Introducing the Generation adidas Cup qualifiers to one of the top showcase events in North America will make this the most anticipated MLS NEXT Fest in our program’s history,” said MLS NEXT General Manager Kyle Albrecht. “We look forward to highlighting the best young talent in our program with more than 400 teams and hundreds of scouts attending this week’s event in California.”