The MLS Next season began last month, kicking off a nine-month marathon that culminates with the MLS Next Cup in June.
The start of a new campaign means new players are stepping into key roles on U-16 and U-17 teams across the region. The fall portion of the season represents the first real glimpse of these emerging talents — especially on the recruiting trail.
To prepare, we highlighted the players to track for the 2025-26 MLS Next season, focusing mainly on prospects in the Class of 2027. Most of these players are new to our coverage, but they’re deserving of recognition due to their ascending skill sets. We started with defenders and goalkeepers. We’ll follow this story up with a separate feature on midfielders and forwards.
The MLS Next season is back. So let’s dive in:
