Chicago
Chicago already runs on small-sided soccer. Indoor leagues fill warehouses and fieldhouses all winter, park district fields host pickup games from the first mild weekend, and futsal has a growing following across the neighborhoods. The MCC Chicago tournament puts that culture into one 5-a-side competition for 2027, with three grounds around the metro area and a path from a local final to the World Final on 7 July.
Three grounds, three champions
Two halves of 15 minutes on a stop clock. Every team plays three group matches in a group of four, and the top two go into the playoffs, where a tie level after two halves goes to penalties. Five weeks of football on each ground leave Chicago with three Pitch Champions, and each goes straight to the Country Championship.
North/North-West
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
West Metro
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
South Metro
64 to 128 teams · $20,000 to its Pitch Champion
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Indoor leagues, park fields and the spring move outside
Chicago soccer has a long indoor tradition. Winter leagues in converted warehouses and suburban sports domes keep teams of five and six together through the cold months, and many of those squads switch to park district fields and rented turf as soon as the ground thaws. Neighborhood clubs in Pilsen, Logan Square and Albany Park have played together for years, and company teams in the Loop book weeknight slots after work.
MCC lands in April, just as many of those teams go looking for a competition with some weight behind it. Play is five a side with nine players at most per squad, two 15-minute halves and the clock stopped whenever the ball is dead.
Getting to the North, West and South grounds
The three Chicago grounds follow the shape of the metro area rather than the city limits. North/North-West draws on Evanston, Skokie, Park Ridge and the suburbs out toward Schaumburg, reached by the Red and Purple lines, Metra's North lines and the Edens and Kennedy expressways. West Metro covers Oak Park, Cicero, Oak Brook and Naperville along the Eisenhower and the BNSF Metra line. South Metro takes in Hyde Park, Bridgeview, Orland Park and the south suburbs.
Teams choose the ground closest to their home field, since every ground carries between 64 and 128 teams through a round of its own. A ground's venue is named here when its agreement is signed; the cards above say which grounds have reached that point.
April and May in Chicago, and the road to the Country Championship
Lakeside spring is changeable. Early April brings cool evenings, a steady wind and the occasional cold rain, with May warmer. The group stage takes three three-day blocks that start on 9, 16 and 23 April, the playoffs open on 30 April, and each ground settles its champion in a final on 9 May.
From the three grounds the Pitch Champions travel to the United States Country Championship, held 28 to 30 May 2027, to meet the winners of Atlanta, Boston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles Metro, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, New York Metro, Philadelphia and Washington DC Metro. After that come the continental stage and, on 7 July, the World Final.
What a season of MCC adds in Chicago
MCC runs as a five-week Pitch Round with a fixed format, $20,000 for each Pitch Champion and a route out of the metro area through the Country Championship and the continental stage to the World Final. Only amateur teams enter, every squad has a named Team President, and conduct sits under a zero-tolerance policy that can end in licence revocation without refund.
The road out of Chicago
- 01 · 9 Apr - 9 May 2027
Pitch Round
Groups of four on every pitch, three group matches each. The top two of every group go into the playoffs, and penalties settle a level playoff tie.
$20,000 - 02 · 28-30 May 2027
Country Championship
The Pitch Champions of each country play for the national title: two halves of 15 minutes, a league table, then the playoffs.
$150,000 - 03 · 2027
Continental Championship
Country Champions compete within their region for a place on the world stage.
$500,000 - 04 · 7 Jul 2027
World Championship
A five-team mini-league, then the World Final: two halves of 15 minutes, penalties if level. One MCC World Champion.
$5,000,000
Questions from Chicago
How does a team enter MCC in Chicago?
Register on this site and pick one of Chicago's three grounds: North/North-West, West Metro, South Metro. One Team License per team: USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027 (then 2,500), or 5,000 for three years. Payment and KYC verification follow the application.
When does the tournament start in Chicago?
The Pitch Round runs 9 April to 9 May 2027 on all three Chicago grounds. The group matches are played on 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25 April, the playoffs from 30 April, and each ground's final on 9 May. Pitch Champions go straight to the Country Championship on 28-30 May 2027.
How many teams can play in Chicago?
Up to 384: each of the three grounds takes up to 128 teams, and each needs a minimum of 64 to run its round. A full ground puts an entry on its waitlist instead of turning it away.
What can a Chicago team win?
$20,000 per Pitch Champion, $150,000 for the United States title, $500,000 continental and $5,000,000 for the World Champion - plus championship rings from Country level up.
Can an indoor soccer league team enter the Chicago tournament?
Yes. Any amateur team of up to nine players can enter, including squads that play in indoor leagues over winter. The pitch round is a small-sided game of five a side, so teams used to indoor football or futsal will recognize the pace.
Which Chicago ground suits a team from the city itself?
It depends where the squad lives. North/North-West favors the north side and Evanston corridor, West Metro the Eisenhower and Oak Park side, and South Metro the south side and south suburbs. Choose by the commute, because each ground runs a full round of its own.
Do Chicago teams bring their own referees to a match?
No. Match officials, a referee, two assistants and a fourth official, come through MCC's join page, and no team appoints them. Teams register on this site under one Team License, and the Team President named on the entry is the squad's contact.
Do we need a Chicago address to register a team?
Teams choose the ground they can reach, which is normally the one nearest home. Entry is by Team License, with a Team President named on it, and the entry fee is USD 1,200 for one year until 1 March 2027, before it rises to 2,500.
Also hosting in United States
Nearby in North America
Claim a pitch in Chicago
One Team License per team, for one year or three years. Squads of up to 9 are built in the MCC app after licensing. Registration takes the team, its coach and its Team President.
- USD1,200One year
- 5,000Three years