The 2025 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by New York Life, wrapped up on Sunday in Orlando, Fla., as the week ended with National League teams claiming 11 of the 12 National titles.

For each newly crowned National Champion, the titles came after a full season of hard work. For a club like Raiders FC (IL), lifting the trophy marked a moment more than a dozen years in the making, as the club secured its first National Championship.

“We’ve had teams coming here for 14 years, and we’ve finally won a National Championship,” Raiders FC owner Salvador Valencia said. “It’s a great feeling, and I send congratulations to all these players and parents. It’s hard to win here. It felt like we’d never win that one because we’ve been coming here for 14 years with close losses. Thank God, we’ve finally made it.”

Columbus United (OH) was the lone club to win two 2025 National Championships, as its teams claimed titles in the 14U Girls and 15U Girls age groups. Meanwhile, Utah Celtic 08B E64 Bradley (UT) made history by becoming just the sixth team — and first since 2017 — to win three consecutive US Youth Soccer National Championships.  

The 11 champions from the National League came from seven different USYS State Associations. Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and South Texas each had two teams win championships, while Eastern Pennsylvania, Utah and Wisconsin each had one.

Teams that played in National League club-based divisions secured five National titles, while five of the National Champions played in team-based Premier 1 Divisions, and one team played in a team-based Premier 2 division. The majority of title-winning teams had very strong performances in the regular season, as six finished in first place in their National League division, while one finished in second place and two finished in third place.

Eight of the new National Champions played in the National League Semifinal events in 2024-25. Four of those sides won champions pool titles and one won the wildcard pool.

The road to the title

Meet the newly crowned USYS National Champions from the National League and see the path each took to lifting the trophy.

PATH TO NATIONALS

HTX 13G (TX-S) finished in third place in its NL Club Premier 2 division, but it impressed by doing so as one of the youngest teams in the group. It carried the confidence developed by that showing into the Southern Regional Championships, where it won five straight games to win the regional title and qualify for Nationals.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

In the 15th minute, Hayleigh Simon whipped in a left-footed free kick from distance that found the back of the net. That strike proved to be the lone goal in the game, as HTX held on for the 1-0 victory against City SC Utah 12G SA (UT).

PATH TO NATIONALS

After coming up short in the final last year and finishing as the national runner-up, Columbus United G11 Lions (OH) fought to get back to Orlando. The Ohio side won its NL Team Premier 1 Great Lakes division, and it qualified for Nationals through the National League Semifinals — setting up another chance to play for the National title.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

After a year of battling to get back for another title opportunity, Columbus needed to wait just a little longer to lift its trophy. In the title game against Elmbrook United 11G Elite 64 (WI), a 1-1 draw at the end of regulation sent the game to extra time. Just two minutes into the extra periods, Cara Crawford headed in a free kick at the back post to put the Ohio side in front. Columbus rode the momentum of that go-ahead goal to secure a 4-1 win and the National Championship.

PATH TO NATIONALS

A first-place finish in its NL Team Premier 1 Frontier division set the tone for the rest of the season for LT Elite SGA 11B Premier (TX-S). Using a combination of clean sheets and high-scoring outbursts, the South Texas side won all five games in Texas to claim the Southern Regional Championship and advance to Nationals.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

Just three minutes into the championship game, Alexis Rodriguez ran on to a flicked on header and hammered a shot past the keeper to put SGA in front of Minneapolis United 11B Academy (MN). Walter Lazo Padilla later added an insurance goal to help SGA to a 2-0 win in the championship final.

PATH TO NATIONALS

This title has been two years in the making for Columbus United G10 Lions (OH) — the 2023 National Champions that came up a win short of repeating as champs a year ago. After its finalist showing in 2024, the Ohio side earned a third straight trip to Nationals in emphatic fashion at the National League Semifinals — scoring 20 goals while conceding just one en route to the champions pool title.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

Taylor Whetzel held off her defender in the 17th minute before hitting a shot from distance that dipped under the bar for the opening goal against Elmbrook United 10G Elite 64 (WI). Whetzel added a second in the 32nd minute to help set Columbus on its way to a 3-0 victory — giving the team its second National Championship in three seasons.

PATH TO NATIONALS

MI Stars 10B Academy (MI) finished in second place in its NL Club Premier 2 division, and it got a taste of highly competitive nation-wide competition at the National League Semifinals in Texas. There, MI Stars qualified for Nationals and played three games decided by a goal or less.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

A quick counter-attack turned a dangerous Tuzos Tucson Academy 10B E64 (AZ) free kick into a scoring opportunity for MI Stars. The Michigan keeper grabbed the ball off the set piece and played a quick long ball down the field. Some link-up play in the midfield led to a through ball that found Liam Trimble, who fired the Stars in front for the breakthrough goal in an eventual 3-0 title game victory.

PATH TO NATIONALS

A first-place finish in its NL Club Premier 1 division showed that Elmbrook United 09G Elite 64 (WI) had the potential to make noise on the national stage. The Wisconsin side earned a chance to prove itself further by qualifying for Nationals via the National League Semifinals.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

Elmbrook grabbed full control of the final match against Rebel Elite 09 Black (UT) with goal in quick succession that built a two-goal lead midway through the first half. Alivia Becker opened the scoring with a right-footed rocket to the near post in the 20th minute that left the goalkeeper with no chance to stop it. Just five minutes later, Kathryn Craddock finished a loose ball in front of goal to extend the lead and help fuel Elmbrook’s 5-1 title game victory.

PATH TO NATIONALS

Raiders FC 2009 (IL) qualified for Nationals through the National League Semifinals in California, where it followed up a loss in penalties by rattling off three straight wins to claim the wildcard pool’s ticket to Orlando. The triumph was followed by a title in its NL Team Premier 1 Midwest division, as Raiders entered the summer in top form.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

After Raiders and KC Legends 09B Academy Red (KS) exchanged goals in the first half, the title game crept closer to regulation with no clear winner in sight. That changed in the 67th minute, when Kristopher Caravantes received a through ball in the left side of the box and bent his shot inside the far post for the game-winner in Raiders’ 2-1 triumph.

PATH TO NATIONALS

All signs pointed to Michigan Tigers Elite 64 08G (MI) being a serious National title contender when it traveled to Orlando. The Tigers exceled in the regular season by winning their NL Club Premier 1 division. Their success continued at the National League Semifinals, where they went undefeated to claim the champions pool title and carry plenty of confidence into the National Championships.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

After an early goal from Maya Bjedov put Michigan in front, the Tigers seized full control of the title matchup against Ambassadors FC 2008 Girls (OH) with two quick goals late in the second half. River Pham doubled the Tigers’ lead when she ran onto a ball at the top of the box and slotted her shot inside the right post, and Tatum Borton scored from distance shortly after the restart to seal the 3-0 National Championship win. 

With two straight National Championships to its name, Utah Celtic 08B E64 Bradley (UT) showed no signs of slowing down in the buildup to the 2025 National Championships. Celtic earned a chance to go for a three-peat by winning the champions pool at the National League Semifinals and added a first-place finish in its NL Club Premier 1 division, as well.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

After three straight games decided by a goal or less, Celtic left little doubt in earning its third straight National Championship. In the final, Kobe Lerma headed the Utah side in front for the only goal in a close first half. However, Celtic’s Corbin Gardner hit a 50th-minute shot through traffic and into the far side-netting to open up the game and kick off a dominant second half that saw Utah pull away for a 5-0 victory.

“It’s unbelievable. Not many teams have won three times in a row,” Celtic defensive midfielder Erin Bradley said. “I’m just grateful to be a part of this team with a great family, great coaches and a bunch of boys that love each other. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of grinding, a lot of late nights and early mornings. It’s all worth it. All the work you put in leads to these kinds of moments, and we love to have these moments.”

PATH TO NATIONALS

Penn FC 07G Black (PA-E) turned in a solid showing in its NL Team Premier 1 Mid Atlantic division — finishing third — and continued to round into form from there. The Eastern Pennsylvania side showcased offensive firepower in five straight wins at the Eastern Regional Championships in Virginia that helped it claim the regional title and move on to the National Championships.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

The key moments for Penn FC can’t be limited to the final match, as the team approached the brink of elimination in a penalty kick shootout in the semifinals. However, goalkeeper Chelsea Coburn saved an attempt that would have ended Penn FC’s run, and her second straight save set up Kali O’Connell’s winning attempt that sent Penn FC to the title game.

Facing defending National Champion MI Rangers FC Elite 64 06/07G (MI) in the final, Penn FC faced another massive challenge when it fell behind by two goals. After Haley Bull gave Penn FC some life with a 68th-minute goal, Viktorya Luckenbach scored two goals in quick succession to fuel her side to the 3-2 comeback victory.

“It feels amazing to end our youth careers on this note,” Coburn said. “We played together in this last game and played for our team and did everything we could to just work together until the end. “Yesterday, in the semifinals, it came down to penalties. I had to save a couple to get to this game. We had to push through yesterday and had to push through today, so the win feels even better.”

PATH TO NATIONALS

The structure of the National League is intended to allow teams to earn their place through their play on the field, and no team exemplified that more than JaHbat B06 Premier 1 (IL). A NL Team Premier 2 division side, JaHbat took advantage of its opportunities and won the champions pool at the National League Semifinals to move on to Orlando.

NATIONAL FINAL KEY MOMENTS

In the final against Ohio Galaxies FC Elite 64 06/07B (OH), JaHbat ensured that the final place it would earn would be a place in the history books. A scoreless first half precluded a final 45 minutes that was filled with fireworks. Makhi Francis curled a free kick inside the near post to put JaHbat in front in the 52nd minute.

The Illinois side struck off another free kick in the 63rd minute when Joseph Sargent hammered a knocked down ball into an open net, and Francis perfectly shaped a left-footed strike just moments later that found the far side-netting to give JaHbat a 3-0 lead. That goal proved vital, as Ohio Galaxies fought back to within 3-2, but JaHbat held on to claim the James P. McGuire Cup as 19U Boys champions.