Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig have teamed up to bring a new soccer tournament to the United States. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)
Bongarts/Getty Images
Bundesliga sides Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig are teaming up to bring a new youth soccer tournament to the United States. Beginning this November, under 16 boys will be able to compete in a series of five Bundesliga x Top Baller 1v1 through spring 2026 with an opportunity to earn a U16 trial with RB Leipzig’s academy.
“We’re excited to contribute to this inspiring initiative,” RB Leipzig head of academy David Wagner said. “At RB Leipzig, developing young talent is at the core of who we are—we strive to create an environment where every player can reach their full potential, both on and off the field. By opening our doors and sharing our resources, we’re offering these promising athletes a valuable chance to showcase their abilities and take the next step in their journey.”
How will Leipzig pick the two players? The two top participants from each qualifier will take part in the finals in April 2026. At the finals, an RB Leipzig scout will select the two players, who will be invited to travel to Germany to take part in a trail with the Bundesliga club.
While Leipzig hope to invite two players to Germany, Bayern Munich will select one player from each of the four qualifiers to take part in the FC Bayern Youth Cup qualifiers that will take place in Portland, Oregon, next summer. The Bayern Youth Cup qualifier provides an opportunity to be selected to represent Team USA at the FC Bayern Youth Cup in Munich.
“Four talented young players will have the unique opportunity to enter the FC Bayern Pathway. This doesn’t represent one singular qualifier or tournament but an actual pathway with the potential to continue to other FC Bayern programs such as the World Squad and Global Academy,” Bayern Munich director of youth development and Campus Jochen Sauer said. “American soccer talent is surging, and we’re committed to creating real opportunities for young players to chase their dreams.”
Bayer Leverkusen made Malik Tillman its record signing this summer. (Photo by Tim Trautmann/Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images)
Bayer 04 Leverkusen via Getty Images
Top Baller has been an increasingly popular format among children and teenagers in the United States. The tournament features some of the best one-versus-one and street soccer players in the United States.
“We created the 1v1 format with one aim: to find the best street ballers and showcase them to the world,” Top Baller founder Manuel Silva said. “On this journey, we’ve uncovered unique grassroots talent and encouraged young players to fall back in love with the game and achieve great success. This partnership with Bundesliga, RB Leipzig and FC Bayern München creates a real opportunity for young ballers in the U.S., and it would be a dream to look back in a few years and see one of our winners in a topflight Bundesliga team.”
The Bundesliga has long been a destination for top US talent. In the past, Christian Pulisic (Dortmund), Tyler Adams (Leipzig), and Weston McKennie (Schalke) have played in Germany before continuing their careers elsewhere.
This season Bayer Leverkusen paid a record transfer fee to sign US men’s national team playmaker Malik Tillman from PSV Eindhoven. Other active eligible USMNT players in the Bundesliga this season include Joe Scally, Giovanni Reyna (both Gladbach), James Sands (St. Pauli), Kevin Paredes (Wolfsburg), Cole Campbell (Dortmund), Kristoffer Lund (Köln), Lennard Maloney (Mainz) and Noahkai Banks (Augsburg).
While US players have long picked the Bundesliga as the top address in Europe, German clubs increasingly target players with one-v-one skills. As such, the Top Baller competition is an intriguing concept for top clubs in Germany. The initiative with Top Baller also fits in well with the Bundesliga’s ambition to keep growing its foot print in the United States.