ATLANTA (September 12, 2025) – U.S. Soccer today confirmed the 16 Open Division clubs that have received byes into the First Round of the 2026 edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship.
For the second consecutive year, the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will provide 32 entries into the Open Division, 16 via the Qualifying Rounds and 16 for teams/competitions awarded a bye directly into the Tournament Proper.
The latter category includes bids designated for the 2025 USASA National Amateur Cup Champion, West Chester United SC; the 2025 UPSL Spring Champion, Tennessee Tempo FC; and NPSL side El Farolito, winner of the 2025 John Motta Trophy established earlier this summer to award the highest Open Division finisher from the previous year’s Open Cup.
The remaining 13 slots designated for clubs in the 2025 National Leagues, NPSL (4) and USL League Two (9), were prorated based on team membership for the 2026 season. That group includes the 2025 champions of each league, Vermont Green FC of USL2 and the NPSL’s Hickory FC.
El Farolito (NPSL) (San Francisco, Calif.) – 2025 John Motta Trophy Winner (NPSL)
Tennessee Tempo FC (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) – UPSL Spring Champion
West Chester United SC (NPSL) (West Chester, Pa.) – 2025 USASA National Amateur Cup Champion
Flower City Union (Rochester, N.Y.) – NPSL Qualifier
Hickory FC (Hickory, N.C.) – NPSL Qualifier
Michigan Rangers (Hudsonville, Mich.) – NPSL Qualifier
Ristozi FC (Baltimore, Md.) – NPSL Qualifier
Asheville City SC (Asheville, N.C.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Des Moines Menace (Des Moines, Iowa) – USL League Two Qualifier
FC Motown STA (Morristown, N.J.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Flint City Bucks (Flint, Mich.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Laredo Heat SC (Laredo, Texas) – USL League Two Qualifier
Little Rock Rangers (Little Rock, Ark.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Northern Virginia FC (Leesburg, Va.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Ventura County Fusion (Ventura, Calif.) – USL League Two Qualifier
Vermont Green FC (Burlington, Vt.) – USL League Two Qualifier
2026 Qualifying Rounds Kick Off Saturday
Those 16 clubs receiving byes will be joined in the 2026 Open Cup First Round by an additional 16 sides that will fight their way through Open Cup Qualifying Rounds throughout the fall, a process beginning with 22 First Qualifying Round games across the country this weekend. With the goal of minimizing overall total travel distance, matchups and byes for the Qualifying Rounds were determined by a combination of geographical considerations and random selection.
This weekend’s slate of 22 games (click here for full schedule) includes plenty of names familiar to the Open Cup faithful, headlined by a Metro New York clash between NY Greek American SC, who won four Open Cups in the 1960s and 70s, and three-time winners the New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982 & 1983). Just down I-95, another four-time victor, Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (1960, 1961, 1963 & 1966), will take on fellow Pennsylvanians Colonial SC.
NY Pancyprian Freedoms are one of seven clubs that appeared in the 2025 tournament this past spring that will begin their hopeful journey back to the 2026 Tournament Proper this weekend. That group that also includes FORO SC, New Jersey Alliance FC, NY Renegades FC, Southern Indiana FC, Tulsa Athletic, and Vereinigung Erzgebirge. Pancyprian Freedoms and FORO SC were two of the six amateur sides that pulled off upsets back in March to make it to the 2025 tournament’s Second Round.
A record 145 clubs will participate in some or all of the four Qualifying Rounds, which will culminate with all 16 qualifier bids being decided in the Fourth Qualifying Round on Nov. 22-23. The 16 spots awarded to teams from the Qualifying Rounds are also the most ever available via this qualifying track, up two from last year’s 14 allocations. Fans of the Cup can visit usopencup.com for Qualifying Round scores and schedules as play progresses in the coming months.
2025 Tournament Continues with Next Week’s Semifinal Round
While qualifying for next year’s tournament kicks off in earnest this weekend, there’s still the matter of determining who will be crowned champion of the 2025 competition over the coming weeks. Both Semifinal Round showdowns between Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union (Tues., Sept. 16, at 8:00 p.m. ET) and Minnesota United FC and Austin FC (Weds., Sept. 17, at 8:30 p.m. ET) will be streamed live on Paramount+ and simulcast on CBS Sports Network, and feature comprehensive studio coverage before, during, and after each contest. The Semifinal winners will meet just two weeks later to decide the 2025 title on Wed., Oct. 1, with the victor of the Minnesota-Austin match-up playing host for the tournament’s Final.
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
Founded in 1913, U.S. Soccer, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the official governing body of the sport in the United States. Our vision is clear; we exist in service to soccer. Our ambition, working across the soccer ecosystem, is to ignite a national passion for the game. We believe soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. We are focused in three areas: Soccer Everywhere, ensuring everyone, everywhere experiences the joy of soccer; Soccer Success, our 27 National Teams and pro leagues winning on the world stage; and Soccer Investment, maximizing and diversifying investments to sustainably grow the game at all levels. For more information, visit ussoccer.com/ourvision.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Now in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.
The official website of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is ussoccer.com/us-open-cup. Fans can also follow the competition on X/Twitter and Instagram @OpenCup and Facebook @OfficialOpenCup.
