This year's MLS NEXT Fest is headed to California, specifically to the Empire Polo Ground in Indio, California, after hosting the event in 2022. The event will run from December 6-11, featuring four age groups in competition with hundreds of professional, national, and collegiate scouts evaluating more than 400 teams.

This season, MLS NEXT Fest will also offer MLS NEXT Elite Academies an opportunity to qualify for the 2025 Adidas Generation Cup. The winners of a 16-team single-elimination bracket in the U-16 and U-19 age groups will earn a spot in the illustrious youth tournament.

A Glimpse into the Future

This week, we've announced some of the best matches to watch at the 2024/2025 event.

The Red Bulls will face LA Galaxy in the U-16 bracket. Both teams are two of the best in their age group and have very talented players that will make this match one of the most exciting. The Red Bulls have only lost one match this season and will have high-intensity games before the event against Philadelphia Union, Atlanta United, and Sporting Athletic, however, the power of this team in all lines will make them one of the rivals to beat. Meanwhile, LA Galaxy is another of the favorites this season, like the Red Bulls LA Galaxy only lost one game this season and in their last game they beat Nomads SC 13-0. This weekend they will have their last participation before the MLS NEXT Fest traveling to Arizona to face Barca Residency Academy and RSL Arizona.

Columbus Crew will face Philadelphia Union in the under-16 age group. The Crew have only lost one game but have been dominant this season achieving 13 wins and 1 draw. The 2009 Columbus Crew class brings several players to watch at this event and will look to continue their incredible run of form. Before the event, Columbus Crew will visit Chicago Fire and Sockers FC and will close out their participation with a derby against FC Cincinnati on November 23. Philadelphia Union, meanwhile, has been another of the great teams this midseason. Their start to the season included big wins of 13-0 over Achilles FC, 8-0 over Toronto FC, 11-0 over TSF Academy, and 5-0 over Sporting Athletic. This team will play Bethesda SC and New York Red Bulls before MLS NEXT Fest.

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Orlando City vs. LA Galaxy will be a must-see matchup in the U19 age group. Orlando City is the only undefeated team in their age group and they have put together some great team-level games worthy of such a talented team. On the road, they have beaten Inter Miami twice as well as Charlotte FC twice. They also managed a win against another of the best teams this season Atlanta United. This weekend they will face CF Montreal and Jacksonville FC. LA Galaxy on the other hand have only lost one game so far and have had dominant performances with wins over Albion LA 5-1, a 5-1 win over Colorado Rapids, and a recent 12-0 win over Nomads SC. This team has a mix of players who were champions last season and recruits who have settled in very well with the team.

Atlanta United vs Seattle Sounders should be a game to watch. Both teams have proven to be up to par this season. Atlanta United has only been defeated once this season and they have managed to beat Inter Miami, New York City FC, and Charlotte FC among others. They also bring a very talented group of players who have recently increased their potential. Seattle Sounders have been a very consistent team this season and are expected to do well at MLS NEXT Fest. This team managed to beat Colorado Rapids and surprised by beating LA Galaxy 4-2 with a brilliant performance by the forward born in 2009, Omar Hassan.

Benfica Academy: A place Where Dreams Take Shape and the Journey Begins

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Sport Lisboa e Benfica, founded in 1904, is a cornerstone of football history, celebrated for its 38 Primeira Liga titles, 26 Taça de Portugal trophies, and two European Cup victories. Central to its success is the Caixa Futebol Campus, a world-renowned academy that has nurtured global stars like João Félix, Rúben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and João Cancelo. With a record-breaking 500 million euros in player transfers, including Félix’s €126 million move to Atlético Madrid, Benfica exemplifies excellence in talent development.

Expanding its legacy, Benfica has launched its first professional academy in North America, offering elite training and competition to aspiring young players. More than a club, Benfica represents a pathway to greatness, inspiring the next generation of soccer professionals.

The U.S. U15’s Back-to-Back Victory Campaigns

Coach Tom Heinemann has announced a new roster of 24 players for what will be the second domestic camp for the 2010 class. This camp will be held in Fayetteville, Georgia, from November 14-20.

Of note is that 10 players are returning from the first camp in October and there will be 14 new players. Who are the new names? Tom Heinemann has included Muyi Ajayi for the first time. The NYCFC goalkeeper is considered one of the top prospects in the 2010 class and will be at this camp for the first time.

Leftbacks Brendan Leon of the Portland Timbers and Richmond Luong of the Columbus Crew get their first call-up. Meanwhile, center backs Jeremiah Muñoz and Landon Mulvenna get the call-up after excelling this season. Both players are two of the top prospects at their position.

For the midfield group, Heinemann includes for the first time Lisandro Torres who was primarily involved with the Mexican youth national team. Torres is a versatile player who can play in any position in the midfield. He also includes Noe Santillan from Atlanta United and Javier Linares from Philadelphia Union, both attacking midfielders.

In attack, he will have the first participation of JD Adigun from Columbus Crew as well as Eric Lodge from New York Red Bulls. Lodge has been a very prominent player this season playing mainly with the under-16 age group. The center forwards for this camp will include Timoni Gbalajobi from Philadelphia Union and Kane Kraus from St. Louis City SC. Both forwards have looked very good in their teams and have deserved the call-ups.

From the Southwest to La Masia

In the same way, as has been done in recent years, three players from the Barça Academy Residency Arizona have been training with the youth teams to evaluate their level and check their evolution. On this occasion, Graham Ford, Makai Wells, and Jorge Padilla have been there.

Graham Ford has trained with Barcelona Cadete A and had already traveled last season to the training camp where he performed at a high level. Graham is left-footed and plays as an attacking midfielder and stands out for his collective ability both in possession and in recovery and his ability to anticipate the game.

For his part, Makai Wells has also trained with Cadete A as Graham Ford has done. Despite being the first time he has come to Barcelona, ​​​​this right winger has a high capacity to relate to his teammates and overcome opponents thanks to his one-on-one.

Jorge Padilla has trained with Barcelona Juvenil B. Padilla had a great U16 playoff that made the coaches decide to take him to Barcelona and see how he evolves with players of his age. He is a right-footed box-to-box player who stands out for being a player with a great ability to recover balls, give continuity to the game, and have good verticality to reach the opposing area.

The Hero of Tunisia

Center forward Anisse Saidi has been called up to the Tunisia U17 squad for the qualifiers for the U17 African Cup of Nations and his recent matches could not have gone better. Saidi played his first game against Algeria on Monday, scoring the winning goal in the 45th minute of the first half. Tunisia won 1-0 over Algeria, one of the toughest opponents in the region. In that game, in addition to scoring, Saidi completed the full 90 minutes of play.

Yesterday, Saidi was again a starter for the Tunisian youth team and they managed to beat Libya 2-1. The game was very close and Anisse Saidi opened the scoring in the 43rd minute of the first half. Libya equalized the score in the 59th minute and 15 minutes from the end of the match, Mohamed Aziz Chaabane scored a penalty kick.

What is certain is that Saidi has managed to score in both games and has been vital in the Tunisia U17 team achieving its first two victories in the qualifiers. The next game will be on November 17 against Morocco who are the favorites to advance to the next round.

Anisse Saidi is one of the best center forwards in his class and has proven it in recent seasons. It is worth noting that he had participated with the United States U15 national team and played 3 games in 2023 when the United States faced England, Japan, and Spain in a series of friendly matches in Europe.