2026 Grassroots Symposium & Leadership Weekend will bring together more than 400 leaders to help define what comes after football’s biggest moment
DALLAS, Texas (July 16, 2026) — One month after the FIFA World Cup captures the world’s attention, more than 400 leaders from across American soccer will gather in Dallas with one shared ambition: ensuring the tournament leaves a lasting legacy for young people, communities and the future of the game.
US Youth Soccer, in partnership with Common Goal USA and U.S. Soccer’s Soccer Forward Foundation, today announced the 2026 Grassroots Symposium & Leadership Weekend, taking place August 27–29, 2026, in Dallas, Texas.
Centered around the theme Moving Legacy Forward, the national convening brings together leaders from youth soccer organizations, state associations, community-based clubs, Football for Good organizations, philanthropy, education, coaching, public policy and sport innovation to explore how soccer can continue creating positive impact long after the final whistle.
The event represents the evolution of a gathering that began in the early 2000s through the U.S. Soccer Foundation to strengthen grassroots soccer and expand access to the game in underserved communities. Since US Youth Soccer assumed leadership of the Symposium four years ago, it has grown into one of the country’s premier gatherings for grassroots soccer leaders, welcoming more than 420 participants in 2025.
“This Symposium has always been about bringing together the people building the game every day,” said Tom Condone, Chief Executive Officer at US Youth Soccer. “As we look beyond the World Cup, we have a responsibility to ensure soccer remains a force for opportunity, belonging and community across the United States.”
Now in its second year as a presenting partner, Common Goal USA continues to expand the Symposium’s reach by connecting the broader Football for Good movement with the traditional youth soccer ecosystem. The partnership intentionally creates space for community organizations, practitioners and social impact leaders to learn alongside coaches, administrators and decision-makers shaping the future of the sport.
“The future of soccer in the United States won’t be built by one organization or one sector alone,” said Mary Connor, CEO of Common Goal. “The greatest legacy of the FIFA men’s World Cup will come from what communities build together afterward. We are proud to continue working alongside US Youth Soccer and the Soccer Forward Foundation to center soccer for good voices, strategies, and organizations at the Grassroots Symposium to ensure we are Moving Legacy Forward together.”
Joining the partnership this year is the Soccer Forward Foundation, U.S. Soccer’s national legacy initiative, which is helping turn the momentum of major tournaments into sustained investment in participation, places, people, and community impact. Through initiatives including Soccer at Schools, Places to Play, Soccer Forward Fests, and the Kang Women’s Institute, Soccer Forward is one component of U.S. Soccer’s broader strategy to expand access to the game and create lasting opportunities for communities nationwide.
“The FIFA World Cup gave us an extraordinary opportunity to showcase the power of soccer in the United States,” said Lex Chalat, Executive Director of Soccer Forward. “The work now is ensuring that excitement translates into something lasting. By bringing together leaders from across youth soccer, community organizations, philanthropy and the broader game, we’re building the partnerships that will expand access, strengthen communities and ensure the tournament’s legacy continues to create impact for years to come.”
Together, US Youth Soccer, Common Goal USA and Soccer Forward are creating a collaborative platform where leaders from across sectors can move beyond conversation toward collective action.
Rather than relying on traditional keynote presentations, the Symposium’s program is being developed through an ongoing collaborative design process involving practitioners, researchers, coaches, community organizations, funders, innovators and young leaders from across the soccer ecosystem. The result will be an experience rooted in real-world practice, emerging ideas and practical solutions that participants can implement long after the event concludes.
The program is designed around the issues that will define the next chapter of soccer in the United States, exploring how leaders can work together to expand participation, strengthen communities, create safer and more inclusive environments, develop coaches and organizations, build sustainable facilities, harness emerging technologies, and translate World Cup momentum into lasting collective impact.
More than a conference, the 2026 Grassroots Symposium & Leadership Weekend is designed as a working gathering—bringing together the people responsible for ensuring that the momentum of the FIFA World Cup translates into lasting opportunities for communities across the United States.
Additional speakers and programming to be announced. Registration is open now.
