England Futsal has opened entries for the 2026-27 National Youth Cup regional qualifiers, with an Under-18 section being introduced for the first time alongside the younger age groups.
England Futsal said the competition will offer mixed and girls categories at Under-14 and Under-16 level, while the new Under-18 pilot will create additional playing opportunities for older youth players. Regional qualifiers will be delivered by 12 Youth Development Partners around the country.
Teams have until 17:00 on Friday 16 October to submit entries. England Futsal said the qualifying events will be held before Christmas, before the knockout phase begins in January.
Under-18 pilot broadens the competition
England Futsal’s Head of Development and Technical Lead, Sion Kitson, said the new Under-18 category was intended to give more young players access to age-group futsal before, or while, they move into the senior game.
The addition makes the cup available across three age bands in the mixed competition, while the girls’ Under-18 option is available at selected venues. England Futsal said the age limits operate on a two-year basis for the Under-14 and Under-16 events: Under-13 and Under-14 players can enter Under-14 competition, while Under-15 and Under-16 players can play in the Under-16 section.
For the new Under-18 competition, England Futsal said Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 players are eligible in line with FA football guidelines. It added that, under the stated FA requirement, a player must have turned 15 by midnight on 31 August of the relevant playing season to take part in an Under-18 event.
England Futsal said qualifiers will take place before Christmas, with knockout rounds scheduled from January.
The organisation said those rules are due to be published by Wednesday 7 October 2026.
Twelve hosts named for regional qualifiers
The qualifying programme will be staged through 12 host partners, with the range of categories differing between venues. Bucks Futsal Club and Futsoul are each listed to host Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 events in both mixed and girls sections.
The University of Sunderland will also host all six of those category combinations. Dorset Futsal Club is scheduled to offer Under-14 and Under-16 mixed and girls events plus Under-18 mixed competition, while Manchester Futsal Club will host mixed tournaments at Under-14, Under-16 and Under-18 level.
- FC Devon, South West London Diamonds and UK Futsal Leagues are listed for Under-14 and Under-16 mixed and girls events.
- International Futsal Academy will host Under-16 and Under-18 competitions in both mixed and girls categories.
- Project Futsal Liverpool is listed for Under-14 and Under-16 girls events.
- Repton School will host an Under-14 girls qualifier.
- The Futsal Club will host an Under-14 mixed event.
England Futsal said teams must complete club registration, tournament entry and youth-player registration to enter. Tournament entry is not confirmed until the relevant fee has been paid, according to the announcement.
Unless an event states otherwise, each qualifier has space for five teams. Once that limit is reached, England Futsal said teams can ask to be placed on a waiting list for their selected event. It has also asked clubs initially to enter only one team per event, with the possibility of a second entry dependent on space.
What clubs need to consider before the deadline
The body said youth player registration costs £5 per player and covers that individual across England Futsal youth competitions for the whole 2026-27 season, rather than solely the National Youth Cup. Tournament entry fees go to host partners, while player-registration fees go to England Futsal.
The pilot adds an U18 National Youth Cup option at participating venues, with U16, U17 and U18 players eligible subject to the stated age requirement. However, availability is not uniform across the host network, so clubs will need to check which categories their preferred qualifying event offers before entering.
With places limited and the deadline set for 16 October, the announcement gives youth clubs a short entry window ahead of qualifying events scheduled for the first part of the season.