Minnesota United FC Academy — National Sports Center

MNUFC Academy is the competitive end of Minnesota United’s youth pathway, not a drop-in class for beginners. Players may be identified through Pre-Academy, a tryout or the club’s scouts, and all routes involve staff selection. The 2026–27 open tryout notice targeted committed players born from 2009 through 2013 and scheduled four days in Blaine. Those dates have passed, so families should contact the academy about current identification rather than assume another public tryout is open.

For players who earn a roster place, the academy says participation is free: Minnesota United covers travel, uniforms, training and league fees. Families are responsible for rides to practices, home games and the airport. The MLS NEXT season runs August to July; joining an MLS NEXT team requires full commitment and ends simultaneous play for a local club or school. The club describes flexible in-person and remote school options through Spring Lake Park schools.

Training takes place at the National Sports Center in Blaine, about twenty miles north of Minneapolis. The club describes a 600-acre complex with more than 50 full-size soccer fields, indoor turf, a winter dome, weight room, locker rooms, nutrition cafeteria and athletic-treatment staff. MNUFC reports academy graduates reaching MNUFC2 and its MLS first team. That is a selective pathway, not a promised professional contract.