Last Updated: 19 march 2026
The Youth Football League (YFL) is an annual football tournament in which youth teams of Russian Premier League (RPL) clubs and Junior Football League (JFL) teams take part. Athletes in this football league are aged from 19 to 21. This tournament is held in two rounds under the “each against each” system. The first eight place teams qualify for the play-offs, where they then compete for the championship. Russian Youth Football Cup is awarded to the winner of the YFL. The best players of the tournament receive individual awards.
YFL is one of the most significant events in the system of training young footballers in Russia. Further development of the tournament is expected in the future, improving its quality and raising interest in it from the fans.
The 2026 Youth Football League (MFL) is the next season of Russia’s premier youth tournament, which serves as a platform for the development and evaluation of promising players from clubs in the RPL and FNL systems. The tournament is traditionally considered an important stage in preparing football players for the adult level.
2026 MFL season is expected to follow a similar calendar to previous years, starting in the spring (approximately March) and concluding in the fall (November). Matches will be held at participating teams’ stadiums across Russia.
The exact composition of the participants and structure for 2026 are not officially set in advance, but the format will likely retain the model of recent seasons:
The league continues to emphasize a competitive environment and the gradual development of young players.
In youth leagues, much depends on the specific generation of players, so the favorites can change each season. However, the following are traditionally considered strong:
Less obvious teams also often shine, making the MFL an unpredictable tournament.
The 2026 MFL, like previous seasons, will be an important showcase for young talent and could reveal new names to Russian football.
The YFL in Russia was created in 2008. Prior to that there was a tournament of the Premier League reserve teams, which was replaced by the YFL.
The first season of the RFPL reserve teams’ tournament was organized by the RPL and only from 2022 the tournament was taken over by the JFL.
Many famous footballers started their careers in the YFL, including:
| Year | Venue | Winning team |
| 2025 | Russia | 1st place – Zenit
2nd place – CSKA 3rd place – Lokomotiv |
| 2024 | Russia | 1st place – CSKA
2nd place – Zenit 3rd place – Krasnodar |
| 2023 | Russia | 1st place – Lokomotiv
2nd place – Zenit 3rd place – Rostov |
Currently, the start date of the next Youth Football League season is not yet known.
Keep an eye on the dates of football tournaments and other events in our Sporting Events Calendar.
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