DUNBAR, W.Va. – The largest soccer tournament in West Virginia returns to the Kanawha Valley this weekend with the WVFC Capital Cup taking over the Shawnee Sports Complex and bringing high-level youth teams from all over the country.
A massive influx of competition means big games and busy days for hotels and restaurants around the area.
“We are bringing 217 teams from around the region—teams as far away as Tampa, FL; Rochester, NY; and seven other surrounding states,” tournament director Aaron Wood said.
The vision for the Capital Cup came together in 2018 when leadership for the West Virginia Futbol Club decided they could put on a tournament that outdid other competitions in nearby states. Wood added that the Kanawha Valley’s central location for many teams made it a perfect fit.
“That kind of makes it a regional tournament where if our teams go to a tournament in Virginia, we usually play teams from Virginia. If we go to Ohio, we normally only get to play teams from Ohio, but when you come to West Virginia, you get to play teams from all of the surrounding states,” he said.
The Shawnee Sports Complex remains one of the crown jewel soccer facilities in the eastern United States, and without it, events like the Capital Cup wouldn’t be able to happen. According to Wood, the complex itself is one of the tournament’s biggest draws.
“There’s really not many places like it on the east coast that have that many turf fields in one location with lights. Everybody really enjoys it when they come there. They like having everything in one location, especially when we have clubs that bring multiple teams in multiple age groups,” he said.
With so much talent on its way to the greater Charleston area this weekend, local teams get to test themselves against some of the best. Wood is excited that West Virginia kids get that kind of opportunity without having to leave home.
“Normally, to play this type of competition, our families have to drive out of state, and when you go out of state for a tournament, you’re going to spend anywhere from $1000 to $1500 that weekend on gas and hotels and food and lodging and entry fees, and most of the kids in West Virginia can’t afford that,” he said.
The 2026 WVFC Capital Cup begins on Friday, March 27, and continues through Sunday, March 29.