Club soccer, level by level
Youth soccer levels, explained
Girls’ club soccer in the US has two national top-level leagues, ECNL Girls and Girls Academy, with GA Aspire and ECNL Regional League Girls under them. Boys’ has MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys at the top, with MLS NEXT Academy Division and ECNL Regional League Boys under them. We list 1,077 clubs holding 1,812 places across those 8 leagues.
- Leagues
- 8
- Clubs
- 1,077
- League places
- 1,812
Club lists read from each league’s own directory. Last checked October 5, 2026.
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What are the levels of girls’ club soccer?
Top level first. Clubs is the number of clubs the league lists for this season.
| League | Level | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| ECNL Girls | 1 | 133 |
| Girls Academy | 1 | 121 |
| GA Aspire | 2 | 148 |
| ECNL Regional League Girls | 2 | 411 |
Level 1 is the national top level for that side; level 2 is the tier under it. The grouping is ours; the leagues do not rank themselves against each other.
What are the levels of boys’ club soccer?
Top level first. Clubs is the number of clubs the league lists for this season.
| League | Level | Clubs |
|---|---|---|
| MLS NEXT | 1 | 152 |
| ECNL Boys | 1 | 170 |
| MLS NEXT Academy Division | 2 | 229 |
| ECNL Regional League Boys | 2 | 448 |
Level 1 is the national top level for that side; level 2 is the tier under it. The grouping is ours; the leagues do not rank themselves against each other.
Which clubs are in my state?
29 states have enough national-league clubs for a list of their own.
| State | Clubs | League places |
|---|---|---|
| Arizona | 17 | 31 |
| California | 181 | 309 |
| Colorado | 26 | 41 |
| Connecticut | 13 | 25 |
| Florida | 60 | 96 |
| Georgia | 20 | 44 |
| Illinois | 23 | 40 |
| Indiana | 13 | 19 |
| Kansas | 16 | 26 |
| Maryland | 10 | 28 |
| Massachusetts | 27 | 39 |
| Michigan | 37 | 55 |
| Minnesota | 34 | 54 |
| Missouri | 20 | 31 |
| Nevada | 9 | 16 |
| New Jersey | 37 | 59 |
| New York | 43 | 73 |
| North Carolina | 32 | 56 |
| Ohio | 36 | 57 |
| Oklahoma | 12 | 23 |
| Oregon | 20 | 31 |
| Pennsylvania | 25 | 52 |
| South Carolina | 8 | 15 |
| Tennessee | 14 | 29 |
| Texas | 164 | 241 |
| Utah | 14 | 25 |
| Virginia | 41 | 73 |
| Washington | 32 | 67 |
| Wisconsin | 12 | 22 |
How this was counted
Club lists are read from each league’s own published directory. A club with a girls’ and a boys’ side, or with teams in two leagues, holds several places and is counted once as a club. No coach, director or contact is printed on these pages.
Last checked:
Quick answers
What are the levels of club soccer in the US?
For girls, the national top level is ECNL Girls and Girls Academy, with GA Aspire and ECNL Regional League Girls under them. For boys it is MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys, with MLS NEXT Academy Division and ECNL Regional League Boys under them. State and regional leagues sit below those.
What is the highest level of girls’ club soccer?
ECNL Girls and Girls Academy. Both are national leagues. Which is stronger differs by region and by club.
What is the highest level of boys’ club soccer?
MLS NEXT and ECNL Boys. MLS NEXT’s top tier includes the academies of the MLS clubs; ECNL Boys is the other national league.
Does the league decide whether a player gets recruited?
No. The league decides who a player plays against and which showcases they are seen at. A college coach recruits the player: their level, position, grades and whether the squad has room.
Where to go next
Your player, your list
From club soccer to which colleges?
The free list scores which college programs fit your player’s level, position, grad year and grades, wherever they play now.
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