Chicago’s U-15 and U-16 sides will face some of the world’s best clubs in the largest and most competitive edition of the GA Cup to date
The Chicago Fire Academy will kick off its participation in the 2026 Generation adidas Cup, held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. from March 27-April 4.
The Fire’s highly touted U-15 and U-16 sides will kick off the group stage action on Friday, March 27, taking on other MLS academy teams as well as some of the best developmental clubs in the world, including FC Barcelona and Red Bull Bragantino.
What is the GA Cup?
The Generation adidas Cup, or GA Cup for short, is a youth tournament hosted by Major League Soccer and MLS NEXT featuring 88 teams in both Boys and Girls Divisions, representing 14 counties and four continents. Since 2014, the tournament has expanded to include teams from beyond MLS academies, while 2025 saw the addition of a Girls Division. The age categories have varied from year to year, with the 2025 edition featuring the U-16 and U-18 age groups.
This year’s edition will feature the U-15 and U-16 boys age groups, which have been promising for Chicago this season. Each side will be part of 40 teams split into 10 randomly drawn groups of four, from which the 16 top teams – the 10 group winners and six best second-place teams – will advance to a single-elimination championship bracket. The best remaining 16 teams compete in a consolation bracket for additional exposure to some of the best talent around the world.
Each match will have a duration of 60 minutes split into two 30-minute halves, while the championship match will last 70 minutes. All contests that are tied at the end of regulation will go directly to a penalty kick shootout.
U-15
The Chicago Fire U-15 side will begin its run on Friday morning with arguably the game of the tournament, facing off against arguably the world’s finest development club in FC Barcelona. But the team may be up to the task, as Travis Clark of MLSSoccer.com writes:
“It’s a strong and competitive U-15 group for the Fire, though part of that will be influenced by who plays for which team. For example, U.S. Youth National Team goalkeeper Alex Bayraktarov has been a starter for the U-16s for parts of the spring. Regardless of where he lines up, other players with high-level experience include Dempsey Biller and Harrison Storey at the back. That helps to set a defensive-first foundation for a team that enters this week on a seven-game unbeaten run.”
Here is the schedule for the Fire U-15s:
- Friday, March 27 at 11:00am CT vs. FC Barcelona (Spain)
- Saturday, March 28 at 10:30am CT vs. D.C. United
- Sunday, March 29 at11:00am CT vs. San Jose Earthquakes
U-16
The Academy’s U-16 side does not fall far behind the U-15. USYNT regulars like Bayraktarov and defender Finn McCraney have earned call-ups for their stunning performances in MLS NEXT play. McCraney scored as recently as Saturday, the U-16s last match before the GA Cup, in a 2-1 victory against St. Louis CITY SC. One week earlier, Bayraktarov posted a shutout in a 3-0 win at Sporting Kansas City.
Other players like DeAndre Beckford – who scored the game-winner in the victory over St. Louis – and USYNT midfielder Christopher Morales have regularly played against older competition in U-18 matches this season, but should find themselves in the middle of the U-16's tournament run.
Here is the schedule for the Fire U-16s:
- Fri, March 27 at 1:30pm CT vs. CF Montréal
- Sat, March 28 at 1:00pm CT vs. Red Bull Bragantino (Brazil)
- Sun, March 29 at 1:00pm CT vs. Portland Timbers
How to Follow
The opening match against Barcelona U-16 will be one of 20 matches available on MLS’ YouTube channel. For all other updates, follow Chicago Fire Academy on X (@CHIFireAcademy) and Instagram (@CHIFireAcademy).
