THE OFFICIAL HOME OF THE FIFA WORLD CUP 26 HOUSTON™
ROAD TO THE CUP
7v7 YOUTH SOCCER TOURNAMENT
Presented by
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Welcome to the Road to the Cup!
Next March, the FIFA World Cup 26 Houston™ Host Committee is teaming up with Houston Dynamo FC and local youth soccer clubs for the Road to the Cup presented by Reliant, a 7v7 youth tournament for U11–U18/19 boys and girls, with one level of play per age group per gender.
The Road to the Cup will bring teams and players from across South Texas together to participate in a once-in-a-lifetime competition that celebrates Houston around the FIFA World Cup 26™. Proceeds from the Road to the Cup will support FIFA World Cup 26™ Houston’s Grow the Game legacy and its community programs via Impact Houston 26.
REGISTRATION
The deadline to register your team and submit payment is midnight on January 23, 2026.
Due to the format and size of the Road to the Cup tournament, there is only a limited ability to accommodate coaching conflict requests. Requests are not guaranteed to be considered, so please ensure that each of your teams has a minimum of two team officials on its event roster.
AGE GROUP
U11
U12
U13
U14
U15
U16
U17
U18/U19
BIRTH YEAR
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008/07
FORMAT
7v7
7v7
7v7
7v7
7v7
7v7
7v7
7v7
FEE
$750
$750
$750
$750
$750
$750
$750
$750
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The tournament will be a two-stage event with a qualifying weekend that begins in March and ends with all championship games hosted in June.
In March, teams in each age group will compete in round robin group play and knockout rounds at locations across the city. The final two teams in each age group will advance to the Road to the Cup Final hosted during Summer 2026. Teams in the Final will play on a state-of-the-art pitch in front of a global celebration of soccer at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston in East Downtown. Finals matches might be scheduled on weekdays during the day, the schedule for finals will be published and sent to teams well in advance.
MARCH 6, 7, AND 8
GROUP PLAY
KNOCKOUTS
All games in March to be hosted at local facilities. Advancement scenarios for teams advancing to knockout rounds will be published later.
JUNE
FINAL
Top two teams in each age-group advance to the final which will be hosted at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston in East Downtown.
TOURNAMENT CALENDAR
November 19
Registration Opens
January 23
Registration Deadline
January 27
Brackets Posted
January 31
Deadline for Feedback on Brackets
February 13
Schedule Published
February 27
Online Check-In Deadline
March 6
Friday Night Round Robin Group Matches
March 7
Round Robin Group Play Matches
March 8
Round Robin Group Play and Knockout Round Matches
March 13 - 15
Rainout Dates
June
Championship Matches at FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston in East Downtown
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Team Entry Fees
There is an entry fee of $750 per team that is due during the registration process via credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card).
Cash, checks, or money orders are not acceptable forms of payment.
*Teams with an outstanding team entry fee will not be accepted into the event.
Tournament Documents
The Road to the Cup 7v7 tournament is sanctioned by the South Texas Youth Soccer Association and is an unrestricted event. Any team who is registered and in good standing with a US Soccer Federation member organization is eligible to register.
The Road to the Cup Rules, Policies/Procedures, and a Checklist will be added shortly.
Fields and Maps
All qualifying matches (round robin group play and knockout rounds) will be held on March 6, 7, and 8 at locations that tentatively include:
Houston Sports Park
12131 Kirby Dr, Houston, TX 77045
Campbell Road Sports Park
3601 Campbell Rd, Houston, TX 77080
RISE South Campus
10001 Stella Link, Houston, TX 77025
Dave Finkle Fields
14500 Village Evergreen Trail, Houston, TX 77062
All championship matches for the Road to the Cup will be scheduled in June. Teams in each final will play on a state-of-the-art pitch at the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston in East Downtown.
CONTACT
Contact Road to the Cup tournament administrators at fwc26houston@texassportsgroup.com.