2026 National Championships Conclude with Historic Moments, New Champions, and Lasting Legacies

RICHMOND, Va. — Six Girls Academy National Champions have been crowned, closing the chapter on another unforgettable season defined by breakthrough performances, championship dynasties, dramatic finishes, and historic milestones.

The 2026 Girls Academy National Championships concluded Sunday in Richmond with five champions crowned, joining Tophat’s U19 squad, which secured the league’s first title of the summer in June with a dramatic extra-time victory in the National Championship.

By the time the final whistle sounded on Championship Sunday, the stories that had defined the week had come full circle. An established national power finally broke through on the Girls Academy’s biggest stage. A championship dynasty added another remarkable chapter to its legacy. A perennial contender completed a long-awaited return to the top. And five champions added their names to Girls Academy history.

Few clubs entered the National Championships with more momentum than City SC.The Southern California club was hardly a newcomer to the national stage. Over the past two seasons, City had established itself among the Girls Academy’s elite by capturing the 2025 Champions Cup Club title, multiple conference championships and playoff berths, and most recently the 2026 U16 Champions Cup title.

Despite that success, a Girls Academy National Championship had remained the one accomplishment missing from an already impressive résumé. That changed in spectacular fashion. City advanced three teams to Championship Sunday—the U13, U14, and U16 squads—and left Richmond with the first two National Championships in club history.

The breakthrough began in dramatic fashion.

The U13 National Championship required everything. Mia Egoian gave City the lead in the 47th minute before Michigan Jaguars equalized shortly after halftime through Vivienne Sabala. After two scoreless overtime periods, City prevailed 5-4 in penalty kicks, earning the club’s first National Championship as Egoian was named Championship MVP.

Hours later, City captured a second title.

Julianna Bodnar and Championship MVP Kayla Nelson scored in a 2-1 victory over SJEB FC to secure the U14 National Championship, completing one of the most successful single days in club history.

City’s pursuit of an unprecedented third championship ended in the U16 Final, where Galaxy SC earned a hard-fought 1-0 victory. Still, three National Championship appearances and two titles marked one of the defining performances of the 2026 National Championships.

Few organizations have shaped the Girls Academy era quite like Tophat SC. Before Championship Sunday even began, the Georgia club had already made history. Its U19 team completed one of the rarest accomplishments in youth soccer by winning both the Champions Cup and National Championship while finishing an undefeated league season, providing a fitting conclusion to the Girls Academy’s inaugural class.

By the end of Sunday, another Tophat team had joined that exclusive company.

Although the club narrowly fell to NEFC Red in the U15 National Championship, the U17 squad produced one of the day’s most complete performances, defeating SC del Sol 4-1 behind goals from Ana Lucia Ramos, Chloe Layfield, Bristol Kersh, and Isabelle York. Ashley Scott earned National Championship MVP honors as Tophat captured its second National Championship of the season.

The victory completed a second Champions Cup–National Championship double for the club, as the U17 team added a National Championship to the Champions Cup title it captured earlier this spring. With National Championships in both the U17 and U19 age groups, Tophat now has six Girls Academy National Championships, extending its record as the league’s most decorated club while continuing to define the standard for sustained excellence across multiple age groups.

The opening championship match belonged to NEFC Red. One year after falling in the U15 National Championship, the Northeast powerhouse returned to Championship Sunday determined to finish what it started.

MVP Kacey Costello gave NEFC the lead late in the first half, but Tophat answered through Caroline Sellers in the 72nd minute to set up a tense finish. With the match seemingly headed beyond regulation, Avery Brown struck in the final minute of regulation, delivering the championship-winning goal and a dramatic 2-1 victory for NEFC.

The victory secured NEFC’s first Girls Academy National Championship since winning the inaugural U15 title in 2021 and came after another outstanding postseason that saw the club concede just two goals across seven playoff matches.

Goalkeeper Giuliana Uminsky was recognized with the Golden Glove Award, capping one of the tournament’s strongest defensive performances. For a club that has now appeared in eight National Championship matches, second only to Tophat all-time, Sunday’s victory represented both redemption and another chapter in one of the Girls Academy’s most consistent championship traditions.

Galaxy Completes the Journey

Sometimes the hardest championship to win is the one that slipped away the year before. After finishing as National Runner-Up in 2025, Galaxy SC returned to Richmond with another opportunity. This time, they finished the job. One year after experiencing heartbreak, Galaxy transformed experience into a championship performance.

Quinn Fahey’s second-half goal proved to be the difference as Galaxy defeated City SC 1-0 to capture the U16 National Championship.

Goalkeeper Gabriella Gjeldum anchored one of the tournament’s finest defensive performances, conceding just one goal throughout seven National Playoff matches while recording six shutouts, earning the Golden Glove Award. Jasylene Ortega was named National Championship MVP. For Galaxy, the title completed a journey that began with disappointment one year earlier and ended atop the Girls Academy.

Championship Sunday delivered everything expected of the Girls Academy’s biggest stage. There were dramatic finishes, overtime, penalty kicks, breakthrough victories, redemption stories, championship dynasties, and unforgettable individual performances. By the end of the day:

The six National Champions of 2026—City SC White (U13, U14), NEFC Red (U15), Galaxy SC (U16), Tophat (U17, U19)—represent both the league’s established powers and its continued competitive evolution.

Championship Weekend is about more than lifting a trophy. It represents the culmination of a year-long journey—league play, showcase events, Champions Cup competition, and the National Playoffs—all leading to one opportunity to compete for a Girls Academy National Championship.

It celebrates the players who dreamed of this stage, the coaches who helped prepare them, the clubs that created environments where excellence could flourish, and the families who supported every step of the journey. Every championship tells a different story. Together, those stories define another remarkable season in the Girls Academy.

As one season comes to a close, another generation of players now begins its pursuit of the next championship.

Since the inaugural Girls Academy National Finals in 2021, 28 different clubs have reached a National Final, while 21 clubs have captured at least one National Championship. Those numbers illustrate what Championship Sunday demonstrated once again: sustained excellence is rewarded, but every season presents opportunities for new clubs to emerge, challenge established powers, and compete for a national title.

In 2026, City SC became the latest club to add its name to Girls Academy history, while championship programs like Tophat, NEFC, and Galaxy continued to strengthen their legacies.