England Futsal evolve National Youth Competition for 2025/26 – Become an EF Partner League

England Futsal to Evolve Youth Competition for the 2025/26 Season

Following the transition of the National Futsal Youth Cup from The FA during the 2024/25 season, England Futsal has undertaken a review of youth futsal provision to better align with the needs, aspirations and development pathways of young players across the country.

While the competition maintained a format similar to its predecessor throughout the 2024/25 season, we recognise opportunities for growth. We were encouraged by the diversity of participating teams and proud to have delivered playing opportunities for hundreds of teams and thousands of young players this season. However, the overall experience does not currently meet our own aspirations for youth competition — and, more importantly, those expected by players, coaches, and clubs.

With no funding and acknowledging that a fully integrated national youth futsal structure remains a work in progress, we are committed to meaningful progress nonetheless. The 2025/26 season marks the beginning of that evolution and we would like to go on that journey with you.

Our Vision

We aspire to build a youth futsal competition framework that is inclusive, aspirational and seamlessly integrated within the wider futsal landscape. Over the next five years, our goal is to develop a system that supports all levels of participation—from first-time players to elite youth clubs—ensuring every young person has a place in the game. A core part of this vision is connecting with and enhancing the opportunities already taking place at a local level. We have no plans to compete with local provision and would rather connect with it, add value and ensure a pathway for players from local to national is established. This will range from accessible, local first experiences to nationally recognised opportunities. What we are setting out here represents the first steps on that journey.

Strategic Objectives

There are three core objectives we are focusing as we evolve to better meet the diverse needs of players, coaches and teams:

1. Inclusivity– Ensuring entry-level opportunities that welcome all participants, offering a fun, friendly and safe introduction to futsal.
2. Support for Clubs– Provide structured, regular competition to support progressive futsal clubs.
3. National Recognition– Deliver a reimagined National Youth Cup, integrating local events into a meaningful national pathway, culminating in England Futsal-hosted finals.

National Youth Cup for 2025/26

We are seeking to collaborate with both new and existing organisations to establish a network of England Futsal partner leagues. Partner Leagues would host local qualifying events across the country, giving successful teams the opportunity to advance to the England Futsal National Youth Cup Finals. The competition is designed to offer a clear, high-quality and accessible pathway from grassroots participation to national recognition.

Partner leagues will benefit from the use of official England Futsal branding, including the iconic Three Lions logo, to help promote their local events and draw in new teams. In addition, events will be supported through England Futsal’s social media platforms. Partner Leagues will also receive in-kind support such as kit, equipment and coach development opportunities.

Moreover, this competition structure will start to play a key role in identifying emerging talent at the U16 level, feeding into our newly developed U17 talent development programmes for both boys and girls.

Get Involved – Become one of our Partner Leagues!

There are several important elements to this evolution and we’d love to explore them with you. If you’re interested in becoming an England Futsal Partner League for the 2025/26 National Youth Cup and want to learn how this opportunity could benefit your local provision, please complete the survey below by Monday, 30th June.

By completing the survey we will invite you to join our National Youth Cup Partner League online session on Wednesday 9^th July from 8:00pm to 9:00pm.

National Youth Cup – England Futsal Partner League – INTEREST SURVEY

Let’s help young players roar by building the future of youth futsal—together.

Other Youth Competition Formats

To meet the diverse needs of players and clubs, England Futsal will also deliver two further competition strands, alongside the National Youth Cup, with all three elements interconnected. More details of the below formats will follow in due course…

• Summer Series – Celebrating youth futsal, the Summer Series will take place at eight premier venues in May and June 2026. These two-day boys’ and girls’ festivals, aimed at U10 and U12 teams, will be open to futsal and football teams of all backgrounds. The focus is on fun, inclusivity and inspiring a love for the game within a vibrant, festival-style atmosphere.
• Challenger Series – Designed to raise the bar for elite youth futsal, the Challenger Series will feature U14 and U16 boys and girls’ teams from across the country. Held at four top-tier venues over four matchdays during the season, the series will also serve as a development platform for coaches and referees – promoting excellence acros the board.