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Marmi Sica

What is the San Diego Surf Cup, and when is it in 2026 and 2027?

4 min read Checked November 9, 2026 Report a correction

Surf Cup is a youth soccer tournament, not surfing. The 2026 San Diego events ran June 12 to August 3 at Surf Sports Park in Del Mar and in Oceanside. For 2027, the Olders are July 16-19 and the Youngers July 23-26 and July 31-Aug. 2.

Sport
Youth soccer

Ages U8 to U19, boys and girls

2027 Olders
July 16-19

U16-U19; organizer says details coming soon

Main venue
Surf Sports Park

Former polo fields, Via De La Valle, Del Mar

Older-division teams
600+

U16-U19, per the organizer

The short version

  • Surf Cup is a youth soccer tournament run by Surf Sports, a San Diego organization whose club dates to 1977. It has nothing to do with surfing.
  • Older age groups (U16-U19) play at Surf Sports Park, the former San Diego Polo Fields at 14989 Via De La Valle in Del Mar; the organizer says it draws over 600 teams.
  • 2026: girls U16-U19 played June 12-15, boys July 24-27; younger divisions ran July 25-27 and July 31-Aug. 3, partly in Oceanside.
  • 2027: Olders July 16-19; Youngers U13-U15 July 23-26 and U8-U12 July 31-Aug. 2.
  • The organizer doesn't publish spectator admission, parking prices or shuttles; next event at the park is the Surf College Cup, Nov. 27-29, 2026.

If you searched Surf Cup expecting a surf contest, wrong sport. Surf Cup is one of the country's big youth soccer tournaments, run by San Diego's Surf Sports and played mostly at Surf Sports Park, the former San Diego Polo Fields in Del Mar. For a few weekends each summer it fills the fields with club teams and the college coaches and scouts who come to watch them. We checked the organizer's Surf Cup pages and its tournament registration listings on November 9, 2026.

What it is

Surf Sports calls Surf Cup "widely considered one of the most prestigious youth soccer tournaments in the US and abroad." The San Diego event is the original; there are now Surf Cups in Las Vegas, Dallas and Seattle, and abroad in Spain, Italy, Morocco and Mexico. The organizer says the older bracket alone draws over 600 U16-U19 teams from leagues including ECNL, MLS Next, GA, DPL, N1 and EA. Each team gets three guaranteed games: 80-minute pool games, then 70-minute semifinals and finals on Monday, with ties going straight to penalty kicks.

Surf Soccer began in 1977 as a club team, and moved into Surf Sports Park in 2016, according to San Diego Magazine. The park is about 2.8 miles east of Interstate 5 on Via De La Valle.

The 2026 dates (already played)

  • Olders, girls U16-U19

    Dates
    Fri.-Mon., June 12-15, 2026
    Where
    Surf Sports Park, Del Mar

  • Olders, boys U16-U19

    Dates
    Fri.-Mon., July 24-27, 2026
    Where
    Surf Sports Park, Del Mar

  • Youngers, U8-U12

    Dates
    July 25-27, 2026
    Where
    SoCal Sports Complex, Oceanside

  • Youngers, boys U13-U15

    Dates
    July 31-Aug. 3, 2026
    Where
    Surf Sports Park, Del Mar

  • Youngers, girls U13-U15

    Dates
    July 31-Aug. 3, 2026
    Where
    Oceanside; semifinals and finals Aug. 3 in Del Mar

From Surf Sports' 2026 tournament registration listings.

The 2027 dates

  • Surf Cup Olders (U16-U19)

    Fri.-Mon., July 16-19 (details coming soon)

  • Surf Cup Youngers U13-U15

    Fri.-Mon., July 23-26

  • Surf Cup Youngers U8-U12

    Sat.-Mon., July 31-Aug. 2

Posted on surfsports.com as of November 9, 2026. Venues and girls/boys splits for 2027 weren't posted yet.

If you're on a team

  • 2026 entry fees: $1,995 for U16-U19; $1,295 (U8-U10), $1,495 (U11-U12) and $1,695 (U13-U15) for Youngers.
  • Stay to play: traveling teams had to book hotels through Athlete Travel; the 2026 Olders required at least 8 rooms per team.
  • Eligibility: a US Club Soccer-sanctioned Class I event open to USYS, US Club Soccer, USSSA and FIFA-affiliated teams; players need current player cards.

Want soccer before next summer? Surf Sports' Surf College Cup for U15-U19 runs Friday through Sunday, November 27-29, 2026, with boys in Del Mar and girls in Oceanside. For pro soccer, see where to watch soccer in San Diego and San Diego's pro teams.

Is this still right?

We last checked this tip against its sources on November 9, 2026, and we re-research every tip on a schedule. Things in San Diego change, sometimes overnight.

Event dates, times and prices are set by the organizers and can change or sell out. Confirm with the organizer's own page before you plan around them.

This is general information, not legal, financial, tax, medical or safety advice.

SOURCES

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