Barca Residency Academy is thrilled to announce its participation in MLS NEXT’s new competition tier, set to launch at the start of the 2025-26 season. Beginning September 2025, the academy’s Elite Academy teams will compete in the new competition platform, uniting all Barca Residency Academy teams under the MLS Next competition umbrella.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of the new MLS Next competition platform starting in the fall of 2025,” said Barca Residency Academy Director Ged Quinn. “Having everyone within our club playing under the MLS Next umbrella will provide a fantastic level of play for each team within our academy and will enhance the individual development and exposure for all of our players. We look forward to embracing the challenge that we will face in what will be an extremely competitive Desert Division.”
Unveiled in January, the new competition tier will feature more than 1,200 teams from over 220 clubs across regional divisions during the regular season. Barca Residency Academy will compete in the Desert Division, which will consist of clubs from Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. Each division will be managed by leading league operators across the youth landscape with a strong commitment to player development – the National Academy League (NAL) operated by 3Step Soccer, Elite Academy League (EAL), Sporting Development League (SDL), Cobalt Sports, and Cal North Soccer Association.
Regular season play will begin in September 2025, which will be accompanied by regional tournaments and an opportunity to attend MLS NEXT national events, as well as coaching development and education programs. The regional tournaments will serve as qualifying for a championship event at the MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs later in 2026. These events will be marquee talent identification opportunities for college, professional, and national team scouts to evaluate players. Players competing in the new tier will also be eligible to play high school soccer.
