Liberia National Team Accepts Invitation to 2026 Gordon Jago Super Group

DALLAS, Texas (Wednesday, Feb. 25) – Dallas Cup, the oldest and most prestigious international youth soccer tournament in North America, has announced that the Liberia National Team has accepted an invitation to compete in the U19 Gordon Jago Super Group at the 2026 Dallas Cup presented by Coca-Cola.

Youth national teams have historically leveraged the competitive strength of the Dallas Cup to prepare for upcoming FIFA competitions, including qualification cycles for the FIFA U-20 World Cup. Over the years, the Super Group has featured national team representation from the United States, Mexico, Uruguay, Canada, El Salvador, and Japan. Notably, Panama remains the only national team to capture the Super Group championship, lifting the iconic Boot & Ball trophy in 2022.

Liberia’s inclusion also adds to Dallas Cup’s long-standing connection with the African continent. Since the tournament’s inception in 1980, more than 30 teams from Africa have competed in Dallas, including representatives from Algeria, Cameroon, The Gambia, Kenya, Morocco, and South Africa, among others. The Liberia National Team will become the first side from Liberia to participate in the tournament.

African teams have twice captured Dallas Cup championships across all age divisions, with Nigeria’s U19 Lagos Stars winning the title in 1982 and U19 Trebor Lions following in 1985. The 1982 Lagos Stars squad notably featured future NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon, who played goalkeeper for the club prior to his basketball career.

The addition of Liberia further strengthens the 2026 Gordon Jago Super Group field, which will feature 12 elite teams from leading professional academies and national federations worldwide competing for the iconic Boot & Ball trophy.

The 2026 Dallas Cup presented by Coca-Cola will be played March 29 through April 5 in the Greater Dallas area. Additional team announcements will continue in the lead-up to the tournament as the field takes shape.

Tickets are now on sale for the marquee Opening Day event at Cotton Bowl Stadium, which will feature a triple-header of matches and the Whataparade of Teams presented by Whataburger and Opening Ceremonies.

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Fans and teams can learn more about the tournament and buy tickets by visiting www.DallasCup.org.