2026 U.S. Open Cup

2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Tournament details
CountryUnited States
DatesMarch 17 – October 21
Teams80

The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the 111th edition of the U.S. Open Cup, the knockout domestic cup competition of American soccer, organized by the United States Soccer Federation. It involved 80 teams, including 48 from all three professional tiers of the United States soccer league system, and 32 in the "Open Division". The competition begins on March 17 and culminates in the final on October 21.[1]

The full format was announced on January 27, 2025. U.S. Soccer changed several elements of the contest, such as reducing the number of rounds by one, altering the qualifying requirements to ensure the highest-level professional team enters the tournament, as well as removing the National League qualifying track. Participation is limited to teams that played a league season in 2025.[1]

Of the 27 American clubs in Major League Soccer, 16 will participate, with teams that did not qualify for either the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup or 2026 Leagues Cup.[2] Being the only Division 1 league, all eligible MLS teams will enter in the round of 32 (third round). Depending on Supporter's Shield standings, one half of the MLS first team entrants will host their first matches, while the rest will begin with an away game. Because of the rule changes, only two MLS Next Pro teams will appear in the competition (Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC). The USL Championship will send 17 of its teams, which includes all teams entered in the 2025 USL Championship Playoffs plus the next team outside of playoff consideration. These teams will enter the competition in the first round. USL League One will send their 13 eligible teams. Championship, League One, and Next Pro, along with the 32 Open Division teams, will enter in the first round.[1]

Schedule

Schedule for 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup[1]
Round Draw date Match day Entrants Teams entered to date
First Round January 27 March 17–19 6 local qualifiers
1 National Amateur Cup champion
1 UPSL Spring Champion
1 2025 John Motta Trophy winner
8 United Premier Soccer League teams
5 National Premier Soccer League teams
10 USL League Two teams
13 USL League One teams
2 MLS Next Pro teams
17 USL Championship teams 		64 teams
Second Round TBD March 31 – April 1 32 winners from First Round
Round of 32 April 2 April 14–15 16 winners from Second Round
16 Major League Soccer teams 		80 teams
Round of 16 April 28–29 16 winners from round of 32
Quarterfinals May 19–20 8 winners from round of 16
Semifinals September 15–16 4 winners from quarterfinals
Final October 21 2 winners from semifinals

Teams

Main article: 2026 U.S. Open Cup qualification

Table

Enter in First Round Enter in Round of 32
Open Division[1] Division III Division II Division I
USASA/USSSA
17 teams 		NPSL/USL2
15 teams 		MLS Next Pro/USL1
15 teams 		USL Championship
17 teams 		MLS
16 teams
National Amateur Cup
UPSL Spring Champions
Local Qualifiers
John Motta Trophy Winner
NPSL
USL2
MLS Next Pro
USL1
  • $: Winner of $50,000 bonus for advancing the furthest in the competition from their respective divisions.[7]
  • $$: Winner of $250,000 for being the runner-up in the competition.[7]
  • $$$: Winner of $600,000 for winning the competition.[7]
  1. ^ a b Due to Hickory FC leaving the NPSL for USL2, Cruizers FC took their place.[5]
  2. ^ On February 23, it was announced that South Georgia Tormenta FC would not participate in the 2026 USL League One season, including the U.S. Open Cup. [6]

Map

Badgers FC
Laredo Heat SC
Michigan Rangers
Ristozi FC
Tennessee Tempo FC
Valley 559 FC
Vermont Green FC
West Chester United SC
Cruizers FC
Atlanta
Boston
Chattanooga
Charlotte
Denver
Houston
Los Angeles
Louisville
NYC
Orlando
Pittsburgh
San Francisco Bay Area
St. Louis
Washington D.C.
Locations of teams in the tournament proper.
  • MLS
  • USLC
  • Division 3 (MLSNP/USL1)
  • Open Division (USL2/NPSL)
  • Open Division (USASA/USSSA)
  • Multiple Teams

Metro areas with multiple teams:

Number of teams by state

A total of 34 states and D.C. were represented by clubs in the U.S. Open Cup this year.

States Number Teams
 California 10 AV Alta FC, Cruizers FC, El Farolito SC, Laguna United FC, Orange County SC, Sacramento Republic FC, San Jose Earthquakes, San Ramon FC, Ventura County Fusion, Valley 559 FC
 Texas 6 ASC New Stars, Austin FC, El Paso Locomotive FC, Houston Dynamo FC, Laredo Heat SC, San Antonio FC
 Florida 5 Orlando City SC, FC Naples, Badgers FC, Red Force, FC America CFL Spurs
 North Carolina 4 Asheville City SC, Carolina Core FC, Charlotte FC, Charlotte Independence, Hickory FC
 New York New York City FC, Westchester SC, NY Renegades FC, Flower City Union
 Tennessee One Knoxville SC, Tennessee Tempo FC, Chattanooga FC, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC
 Virginia Loudoun United FC, Virginia Dream FC, Northern Virginia FC, Richmond Kickers
 Colorado 3 Colorado Rapids, Colorado Springs Switchbacks, Azteca FC
 Georgia Atlanta United FC, South Georgia Tormenta FC, Kalonji Pro-Profile
 Kentucky Louisville City FC, Lexington SC, Southern Indiana FC
 Michigan Detroit City FC, Flint City Bucks, Michigan Rangers
 New Jersey New York Red Bulls, FC Motown, SC Vistula Garfield
 Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, Steel City FC, West Chester United SC
 Indiana 2 Indy Eleven, Southern Indiana FC
 Massachusetts New England Revolution, CD Faialense
 Missouri St. Louis City SC, BOHFS St. Louis
 South Carolina Charleston Battery, Greenville Triumph SC
 Arizona 1 Phoenix Rising FC
 Arkansas Little Rock Rangers
 Connecticut Hartford Athletic
 Illinois Chicago Fire
 Iowa Des Moines Menace
 Kansas Sporting Kansas City
 Maine Portland Hearts of Pine
 Maryland Ristozi FC
 Minnesota Minnesota United FC
 Nebraska Union Omaha
 New Mexico New Mexico United
 Ohio Columbus Crew
 Oklahoma FC Tulsa
 Rhode Island Rhode Island FC
 Vermont Vermont Green FC
 Washington Spokane Velocity FC
 Washington D.C. DC United
 Wisconsin Forward Madison FC

Open Cup debuts

8 teams made their Open Cup debuts in the 2026 tournament.

Early rounds

The first round of the tournament was drawn on January 27, 2026.[8][9]

On February 23, 2026, South Georgia Tormenta FC withdrew from the U.S. Open Cup match[10][11]

First round
March 17–19; March 25
USL1 South Georgia Tormenta FC
UPSL FC America CFL Spursw/o
USL1 Richmond Kickers2
USL2 Northern Virginia FC0
USLC Rhode Island FC4
BSSL CD Faialense0
USL2 Vermont Green FC1
USL1 Portland Hearts of Pine0
USLC Detroit City FC5
NPSL Michigan Rangers1
USL2 Steel City FC
USLC Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC
USLP West Chester United SC1
USLC Loudoun United FC2
USLC Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC3
UPSL Azteca FC0
USLC Indy Eleven3
USL2 Des Moines Menace0
USLC Phoenix Rising FC4
LFC San Ramon FC0
MLSNP Chattanooga FC2
UPSL Kalonji Pro-Profile1
USL2 Asheville City SC3
USL1 Greenville Triumph SC1
USLC Charleston Battery2
UPSL Badgers FC1
USLC Louisville City FC2
UPSL Southern Indiana FC0
USL1 FC Naples3
NPSL Red Force FC0
NPSL FC Motown0
USLC Hartford Athletic2
APSL SC Vistula Garfield1
USL1 One Knoxville SC3
MPL BOHFS St. Louis0
USL1 Union Omaha8
USL2 Little Rock Rangers2
USLC FC Tulsa4
USLC San Antonio FC6
HFA ASC New Stars0
USLC New Mexico United3
NPSL Cruizers FC2
USLC Sacramento Republic FC2
NPSL El Farolito0
USL1 AV Alta FC0
UPSL Valley 559 FC1
USL2 Ventura County Fusion1
USL1 Spokane Velocity FC2
USLC Orange County SC3
UPSL Laguna United FC0
MLSNP Carolina Core FC1
UPSL Virginia Dream FC2
USL1 Charlotte Independence4
NPSL Ristozi FC1
USL2 Flint City Bucks2
USL1 Forward Madison FC0
USLC Lexington SC9
NPSL Flower City Union0
USL1 Westchester SC2
UPSL NY Renegades FC0
UPSL Tennessee Tempo FC1
USL1 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC0
USL2 Laredo Heat0
USLC El Paso Locomotive FC2

First round

The complete draw for the first round, including match dates and times, was announced on January 27, 2026.[12]

March 17 South Georgia Tormenta FC (USL1)0–1 vo FC America CFL Spurs (UPSL) Statesboro, Georgia
Stadium: Tormenta Stadium
March 17 Richmond Kickers (USL1) 2–0 Northern Virginia FC (USL2)Richmond, Virginia
6:30 p.m. ET
  • Kirkland 31'
  • Dourado 89'
 Report Stadium: City Stadium
Referee: Chuck Roberts
March 17 Rhode Island FC (USLC) 4–0 CD Faialense (BSSL)Pawtucket, Rhode Island
7:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Centreville Bank Stadium
Attendance: 1,156
Referee: Joseph Poremba
March 17 Vermont Green FC (USL2) 1–0 Portland Hearts of Pine (USL1)Burlington, Vermont
7:00 PM ET
  • Ismail 40'
 Report Stadium: Virtue Field
Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Gurhan Dolgun
March 17 Detroit City FC (USLC) 5–1 Michigan Rangers (NPSL)Brighton, Michigan
7:30 PM ET
Report
  • Barone 6'
 Stadium: Legacy Center
Attendance: 675
Referee: Ryan Homik
March 17 West Chester United SC (USLP)1–2 Loudoun United FC (USLC) Wayne, Pennsylvania
7:30 PM ET
  • Martin 84'
 Report
Stadium: YSC Sports
Referee: Stephen Foster
March 17 Colorado Springs Switchbacks (USCL) 3–0 Azteca FC (UPSL)Colorado Springs, Colorado
8:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Weidner Field
Attendance: 1,500
Referee: Adam Rice
March 17 Indy Eleven (USLC) 3–0 Des Moines Menace (USL2)Westfield, Indiana
8:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Grand Park Sports Campus
Attendance: 3,073
Referee: Alex Beehler
March 17 Phoenix Rising FC (USLC) 4–0San Ramon FC (LFC)Phoenix, Arizona
10:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Phoenix Rising Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 2,274
Referee: Edgar Sanchez Beltran
March 18 Chattanooga FC (MLSNP) 2–1 Kalonji Pro Profile (UPSL)Chattanooga, Tennessee
6:00 PM ET
  • Ortiz 45+1'
  • Mohand 46'
  • Kalonji 13'
 Stadium: Finley Stadium
Attendance: 2,139
Referee: Amin Hadzic
March 18 Asheville City SC (USL2) 3–1 Greenville Triumph SC (USL1)Asheville, North Carolina
6:30 PM ET
  • Southern 13'
  • Bilow 82'
  • Fall 90+9'
 Report
Stadium: Greenwood Soccer Field
Referee: Kevin Broadley
March 18 Charleston Battery (USLC) 2–1 Florida Badgers FC (UPSL) Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
6:30 PM ET
Report
  • Altidor 66'
 Stadium: Patriots Point Soccer Complex
Attendance: 500
Referee: Tiago Don Santos
March 18 FC Motown (NPSL)0–2 Hartford Athletic (USLC) Newark, New Jersey
7:00 PM ET Report
Stadium: Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium
Attendance: 206
Referee: Devin Dragon
March 18 FC Naples (USL1) 3–0 Red Force FC (NPSL)Naples, Florida
7:00 PM ET
  • Torrellas 23'
  • Gay 30'
  • Gray 90+2'
 Stadium: Paradise Coast Sports Complex
Attendance: 2,283
Referee: Jorge Escobar
March 18 Louisville City FC (USLC) 2–0 Southern Indiana FC (UPSL)Louisville, Kentucky
7:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Lynn Family Stadium
Attendance: 1,780
Referee: Salvador Flores
March 18 SC Vistula Garfield (APSL)1–3 One Knoxville SC (USL1) Garfield, New Jersey
7:30 PM ET
  • Gorczowski 1'
 Report
Stadium: Garfield High School Stadium
Attendance: 250
Referee: Danielle Cornetta
March 18 BOHFS St. Louis (MPL)0–8 Union Omaha (USL1) St. Louis, Missouri
8:00 PM ET Report
Stadium: Harlen C. Hunter Stadium
Attendance: 2,100
March 18 Little Rock Rangers (USL2)2–4 FC Tulsa (USLC) Little Rock, Arkansas
8:00 PM ET
Report
Stadium: Episcopal Collegiate School
Attendance: 1,200
Referee: Carson Alston
March 18 San Antonio FC (USLC) 6–0 ASC New Stars (HFA)San Antonio, Texas
8:30 PM ET
Stadium: Toyota Field
Attendance: 1,766
Referee: Edgar García
March 18 New Mexico United (USLC) 3–2 Cruizers FC (NPSL)Albuquerque, New Mexico
9:30 PM ET
  • Flores 12' (o.g.)
  • Gilchrist 38'
  • Nava 90'
 Report
Stadium: UNM Soccer Complex
Attendance: 857
March 18 Sacramento Republic FC (USLC) 2–0 (a.e.t.) El Farolito (NPSL)Sacramento, California
10:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Heart Health Park
Attendance: 2,430
Referee: Steven Cardozo
March 18 AV Alta FC (USL1)0–1 Valley 559 FC (UPSL) Lancaster, California
10:30 PM ET Report
Stadium: Lancaster Municipal Stadium
Referee: Rafael Bonilla
March 18 Ventura County Fusion (USL2)1–2 Spokane Velocity (USL1) Ventura, California
10:30 PM ET
Report
Stadium: Ventura College Sportsplex
Referee: Felix Granados
March 18 Orange County SC (USLC) 3–0 Laguna United FC (UPSL)Irvine, California
10:30 PM ET
Report Stadium: Championship Soccer Stadium
Attendance: 1,521
Referee: Juma Abdu-Razzaq
March 19 Carolina Core FC (MLSNP)1–2 Virginia Dream FC (UPSL) High Point, North Carolina
6:00 PM ET
Report
  • Diarra 58'
  • Akinkoye 78'
 Stadium: Truist Point
Referee: Yannick Rothfuss
March 19 Charlotte Independence (USL1) 4–1 Ristozi FC (NPSL) Matthews, North Carolina
6:30 PM ET
Report
  • Ono 38'
 Stadium: Mecklenburg County Sportsplex at Matthews
Attendance: 682
Referee: Mj Tehini
March 19 Flint City Bucks (USL2) 2–0 Forward Madison FC (USL1)Grand Blanc, Michigan
6:30 PM ET
  • Gyamfi 13' (o.g.)
  • Lopez 67'
 Report Stadium: Don Batchelor Field
Attendance: 3,027
Referee: Quinton Mcfarlen
March 19 Lexington SC (USLC) 9–0 Flower City Union (NPSL)Lexington, Kentucky
7:00 PM ET
Report Stadium: Lexington SC Stadium
Attendance: 1,894
Referee: Promise Adebayo-Ige
March 19 Westchester SC (USL1) 2–0 NY Renegades FC (UPSL) Mount Vernon, New York
7:30 PM ET
  • Burko 34' (pen.), 83'
 Report Stadium: The Stadium at Memorial Field
Referee: Leonel Brito
March 19 Tennessee Tempo FC (UPSL) 1–0 Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (USL1) Murfreesboro, Tennessee
8:15 PM ET Report Stadium: Richard Siegel Soccer Complex
Referee: Donovan Eubank
March 19 Laredo Heat SC (USL2) 0–2 El Paso Locomotive FC (USLC) Laredo, Texas
8:30 PM ET Stadium: PEG Energy Stadium
Referee: Edgar García
March 25 Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (USLC) v Steel City FC (USL2) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
7:00 PM ET Stadium: Highmark Stadium

Broadcasting

As part of the second year of a two-year deal with U.S. Soccer, CBS Sports will broadcast games on Paramount+, with select games on the CBS Sports Golazo Network and CBS Sports Network.[1] All remaining games will be broadcast on U.S. Soccer's YouTube channel.

Top goalscorers

  Team eliminated for this round.
  Team was inactive for this round.
Rank Player Team Goals By round
1R 2R 3R R32 R16 QF SF F
1 Forster Ajago Sacramento Republic FC 2 2
Daniel Burko Westchester SC 2
Nicolas Firmino Lexington SC 2
Ariel Mbumba Cruizers FC 2
Sergio Ors Navarro Union Omaha 2
Samuel Owusu Union Omaha 2
Tabort Etaka Preston Detroit City FC 2
Tola Showunmi Louisville City FC 2
Christian Sorto San Antonio FC 2
Colton Swann Charleston Battery 2

As of March 18, 2026

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Format, Schedule and Participating Teams Finalized for 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup" (Press release). U.S. Soccer. December 4, 2025. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  2. ^ Ashton, Alex (December 4, 2025). "US Open Cup Scales Back for 2026". Beyond the 90'. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  3. ^ Battista, Michael (July 27, 2025). "2025 National Amateur Cup Final: West Chester United's late OT winner books spot in 2026 US Open Cup". TheCup.us. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  4. ^ Padilla, Kathryne (August 11, 2025). "Dominic Oduro's late goal gives Tennessee Tempo UPSL spring title, spot in 2026 US Open Cup". TheCup.us. Retrieved December 11, 2025.
  5. ^ Battista, Michael (January 27, 2026). "2026 US Open Cup First Round draw announced". TheCup.US. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
  6. ^ "FC America CFL Spurs advance to 2026 U.S. Open Cup Second Round via forfeit". ussoccer.com. February 23, 2026. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c "Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament Kicks Off Today; Increased Investment Leads to Record Purse of $1 Million". United States Soccer Federation. March 18, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2025.
  8. ^ "2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Kicks Off with 32-Game First Round Pitting Amateur vs. Pro Clubs". ussoccer.com. U.S. Soccer. January 27, 2026. Retrieved January 31, 2026.
  9. ^ "2026 U.S. Open Cup Schedule & Results".
  10. ^ "FC America CFL Spurs advance to 2026 U.S. Open Cup Second Round via forfeit".
  11. ^ "South Georgia Tormenta FC's pro team on hiatus for 2026 season".
  12. ^ "2026 US Open Cup First Round draw announced". TheCup.us. January 27, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
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