In the wake of the 2026 Generation adidas Cup, MLS NEXT announced a Best XI for each age group.
Check out who made a big impact in Florida below.
Goalkeeper
- Ethan Djahaury, Toulouse FC
Defenders
- Iker Frías Barrajon, Valencia CF
- Mason Moskau, Atlanta United
- Yulian Mosquera, Valencia CF
Midfielders
- Jayden Delgado, Charlotte FC
- Alfonso Calderón, Valencia CF
- Marco Vita, D.C. United
- Pablo Jiménez Luque, Valencia CF
Forwards
- Sloan Earl, Real Salt Lake
- Cristopher Batiz, Seattle Sounders FC
- Shane Jagtiani, LAFC
While title winners Valencia CF dominate the side with four players – including individual award winners Frias (Defensive MVP) and Jiménez (MVP presented by adidas) – several breakout performances dot the U-15 Best XI.
Batiz finished the week as the Top Scorer of the age group with six goals, leading Seattle Sounders FC to the tournament final against Valencia. Moskau manned the right-back spot for Atlanta United, locking down his side while also jumping forward into the attack for the quarterfinalists.
Charlotte FC enjoyed an impressive run to the semifinals, underlined by Delgado’s performance. The central midfielder manned the No. 6 spot for his squad, offering ball-winning contributions and a metronome in attack. Marco Vita also enjoyed a great week in Florida for D.C. United, offering a two-footed option in central midfield. Along with his passing and work rate, Vita scored the winning goal against FC Barcelona.
Shane Jagtiani’s goals propelled LAFC to the semifinals, finishing with four tallies. Earl joins him on the Best XI as a bright spot from Real Salt Lake, finishing with five goals across group games and consolation matches.
Goalkeeper
- Villads Bille, FC Copenhagen
Defenders
- Joebis Ferreira Pereira, Red Bull Bragantino
- Tristan Christensen, FC Copenhagen
- Brogan Fitzsimons, Houston Dynamo FC
- Jaiden Paz, LA Galaxy
Midfielders
- Gonzalo Riveras, Atlanta United
- Abdoulaye Diop, Philadelphia Union
Forwards
- Kane Kraus, St. Louis CITY SC
- Simeon Cruickshank, Vancouver Whitecaps FC
- Santiago Leandro Descarrega, Boca Juniors
- Pedro Henrique Barboza Da Silva, Red Bull Bragantino
Leading the way in the U-16 age group’s Best XI are the two finalists, FC Copenhagen and Red Bull Bragantino. Pereira and Christensen nabbed MVP presented by adidas and Defensive MVP honors, respectively, while Bille backstopped the Danish side between the posts. Da Silva scored four goals for the winning Red Bull side.
Defenders Brogan Fitzimons and Jaiden Paz excelled for their respective teams; the former locked down the right side for Houston Dynamo FC, while Paz offered two-way quality from left back for semifinalists LA Galaxy.
Diop’s all-action approach met the moment for Philadelphia, as the box-to-box midfielder was in the mix at both ends of the pitch. Gonzalo Riveras tallied three times for Atlanta United, and Simeon Cruickshank was a big reason for Vancouver’s run to the semifinals with four goals. Cruickshank netted game-winners versus Nagoya Grampus and FC Cincinnati in the group stage.
Four goals in the group stage, including a hat trick against Busan IPark, earn Kraus a spot in the Best XI. The St. Louis CITY forward tacked on another goal in the consolation matches.
Boca’s Descarrega rounds out the group as the Top Scorer among the U-16s with six goals.
