Barca Residency Academy’s U16 Homegrown team is headed to the 2026 MLS NEXT Cup Playoffs Final after a brilliant 3-1 semifinal victory over Met Oval on Thursday.
With the win, Barca advances to the MLS NEXT Cup Final, where they will face Total Futbol Academy (TFA) in a Southwest Division South vs. Southwest Division North matchup for the championship title. The match will take place on Saturday, May 30, at 6:00 pm MST at Zion Bank Stadium and will be streamed live on the MLS YouTube channel.
The Journey
Barca Residency Academy opened its playoff run on Saturday, May 23, battling New England Revolution in a hard-fought match that ended 1-1 (Alahga) before Barca prevailed 4-3 in penalty kicks to advance.
The U16s carried that momentum into the Round of 16, where they earned a convincing 3-1 victory over Baltimore Armour Academy to book a quarterfinal matchup with Orlando City.
What followed was one of the tournament’s most thrilling contests. In a back-and-forth battle, Barça and Orlando City finished level at 2-2 (Alagha, Odom) before the U16s once again delivered under pressure, winning 5-3 in penalties to secure their place in the semifinals.
Barca continued its impressive postseason run with a standout performance against Metropolitan Oval, controlling the match and securing a 3-1 (DeWet, VanCleave, Me. Ramirez) victory to punch its ticket to the coveted MLS NEXT Cup Final.
Now, just one match remains between Barça and the national championship.
