The Month Ahead: U.S. Soccer Key Dates & Major Moments in September

The U.S. U-16 and U-15 Girls’ National Teams will kick off the month with a concurrent training camp at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayette County, Ga., from Sept. 1-8. A similar camp will also take place for the U.S. U-16 and U-15 Boys’ National Teams the following week.

The U-17 Women’s National Team will also train from Sept. 7-14 as the team begins preparation for qualifying for the 2027 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. The U-18 Men’s National Team will also hold a camp at the National Training Center this month, with the U-17 Men’s National Team closing the month with a camp in Spain.

The camps are a part of the Federation’s continued focus on the U.S. Way philosophy, which emphasizes increased programming for Youth National Teams to create more opportunities for young players to advance through the pathway to the senior National Team with the goal of representing their country at a world championship.

2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup – Sept. 5-27

Head coach Vicky Jepson and the U.S. Under-20 Women’s Youth National Team have arrived in Poland to begin their 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup campaign. The USA will open the tournament on Sunday, Sept. 6 against Italy before facing Japan (Sept. 9) and New Zealand (Sept. 12) to finish the group stage.

The U.S. has qualified for every edition of the U-20 Women’s World Cup and has won three of the 11 previous tournaments, compiling a 36W-11L-10D overall record. The team took home bronze in the 2024 edition of the tournament.

View the full roster here and stay tuned to USSoccer.com and @USYNT on Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Extended National Team Camps at National Training Center – Sept. 7-27

Four of the nine U.S. Extended National Teams will participate in training camps this month at the National Training Center. The U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team will gather from Sept. 7-13, and the U.S. Men’s Beach Soccer National Team will hold its camp from Sept. 22-27.

Meanwhile, both the U.S. Men’s CP National Team and the U.S. Power Soccer National Team will hold their final camps this month before competing in major tournaments in October. The Power National Team will train from Sept. 11-15 before heading to Argentina for the 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup. The CP MNT’s camp will be from Sept. 16-20 before it competes in the 2026 IFCPF World Cup, which will also be held at the National Training Center.

U.S. Open Cup – Sept. 12-16

The 27 matches of the First Qualifying Round of the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will be held Sept. 12-13 between amateur clubs from the Open Division across the country.

Additionally, four MLS clubs remain in the running for the title of this year’s U.S. Open Cup. The two semifinal matches will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 16, starting at 7 p.m. ET with Columbus Crew againstOrlando City SC at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus, Ohio.

The winner will host either the Colorado Rapids or St. Louis CITY SC, which compete at 9:30 p.m. ET at DICK'S Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo. Both matches will be broadcast on Paramount+ & CBS Sports Network. The Final is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 21.

USMNT International Window – Sept. 26 – Oct. 6

The U.S. Men’s National Team returns to action this month for the first time since the FIFA World Cup 2026 as it hosts four international matches across the country. The quartet of matches will be the first in a new chapter of the USMNT as Mauricio Pochettino agreed to a new contract that will keep him as head coach through 2030.

The USMNT will face South American opposition in Peru and Chile, followed by classic Concacaf clashes with Mexico and Canada. The matches will be held in four cities (Orlando, Fla., St. Louis, Mo., Glendale, Ariz., and St. Paul, Minn.) that did not host World Cup matches, giving more fans a chance to cheer on a U.S. team that inspired millions of Americans this summer.

U.S. Soccer Podcast – September Guest Lineup

Multiple soccer stars will be featured this month on the U.S. Soccer Podcast presented by Henkel. Host Meghan Klingenberg will speak with Salvadorian coach and former USMNT player Hugo Pérez on the Sept. 16 episode to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month, while other guests include USMNT goalkeeper and Atlanta United FC legend Brad Guzan, FIFA Women’s World Cup champion and USWNT defender Ali Krieger, Orlando City SC striker Daryl Dike and more.

To learn more, visit http://www.ussoccer.com/podcast and become a U.S. Soccer Insider to get access to exclusive podcast segments.

Domestic & International Leagues

Major League Soccer, the National Women’s Soccer League and the USL Championship and League One continue their seasons in September as they come closer to their respective playoffs. The USL Super League just began its shortened 2026 season before switching to a spring-to-fall schedule next year.

Multiple USMNT players have begun their seasons in leagues abroad including Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest shining with Dutch club PSV and Auston Trusty with Scottish side Celtic. The 2026-2027 Women’s Super League season also begins this week as USWNT midfielder Sam Coffey and Manchester City look to defend their title.

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