US Youth Soccer Shifts Age Groups to School Year Starting 2026

In a major change for youth sports, United States Youth Soccer, American Youth Soccer Organization, and US Club Soccer have agreed to adopt a new age group formation cycle aligned with the school year, running from August 1 to July 31, starting in the 2026-27 season. This shift aims to better align players with their actual classmates, addressing long-standing frustrations over age grouping based solely on birth dates and enhancing the overall youth soccer experience. The change applies comprehensively across all USYS leagues and competitions and follows U.S. Soccer's policy allowing member organizations to set their own registration rules. Meanwhile, international soccer fans can look forward to key UEFA and CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying matches and international friendlies on June 10, 2025, featuring top teams like Brazil and the Netherlands competing for spots in the 2026 World Cup. Additionally, the Appalachian Athletic Conference's Lions soccer team is preparing for a challenging 2025-26 season against nationally ranked opponents, bolstered by a large recruiting class aiming to fill the gaps left by graduating leaders. Finally, an analysis of the 2025 English Championship calendar year standings reveals differences from the actual final table, with Millwall appearing in the play-offs and Sunderland missing out, highlighting how form over a calendar year differs from the full season results.