ATLANTA (August 22, 2025) – A record 146 amateur teams will take part in Open Division Qualifying Rounds beginning next month for the right to earn their spot in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament Proper, which marks the 111th edition of U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship.
The record number of Qualifying Round participants, which shattered last year’s previous high-water mark of 114, will fight it out in the coming months for the chance to earn 16 of the Open Division’s 32 spots in next year’s Tournament Proper. 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.
The teams will be grouped into 16 regional pools from which the Qualifying Round draw will be conducted. The 2026 Qualifying Rounds will be played across the following four weekend windows from September through November:
- September 13-14, 2025
- October 11-12, 2025
- November 1-2, 2025
- November 22-23, 2025
The regional draws and schedules are expected to be announced by U.S. Soccer next week and will be posted on usopencup.com. Most teams will begin their Open Cup journey on one of the first two Qualifying Round dates depending on the number of Rounds required to reach the final field of 16 teams that will advance to the Tournament Proper for 2026.
The 146 clubs in the Qualifying Rounds represent 28 different U.S. Soccer-sanctioned regional and national adult amateur and semi-professional leagues from across the country. Leagues with the highest representation include a whopping 66 participants from the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), 14 from the American Premier Soccer League (APSL), and 10 from the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL).
The group includes some heavy hitters from past Open Cups, including four-time champions Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals (1960, 1961, 1963 & 1966) and three-time winner New York Pancyprian Freedoms (1980, 1982 & 1983).
The latter of those two will join FORO SC and Virginia Dream FC as squads looking to reprise their starring roles from this year’s tournament after posting First Round upset wins over professional sides during the 2025 Tournament Proper back in March. Meanwhile, past tournament darlings Ballard FC, Chicago House AC, Tulsa Athletic, and the historic Western Mass Pioneers headline the other dozens of hopefuls trying to earn the right to conjure up some of their own Open Cup magic come 2026.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia will be represented in the upcoming Qualifying Rounds, with Florida (23), California (22), and New York (11) leading the way. On the opposite side of things, 11 states – Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Tennessee – as well as Washington, D.C., all have one hope to make it through.
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. Three of the bids in the latter category have already been awarded to West Chester SC (2025 USASA National Amateur Cup Champion), Tennessee Tempo FC (2025 UPSL Spring Champion) and El Farolito (2025 John Motta Trophy Winner, awarded to highest Open Division finisher from the previous year’s Open Cup). The remaining 13 slots for the 2025 National Leagues (NPSL and USL League Two) will be prorated based on team membership for the 2026 season
OPEN DIVISION CLUBS FOR 2026 QUALIFYING ROUNDS (146 TEAMS):
American Premier League / USASA (3 Teams):
Aegean Hawks FC (VA), Los Toros (VA), Yinz United (VA)
America Premier Soccer League / USASA (14 Teams):
Central Park Rangers FC (NY), Christos FC (MD), DOXA SC (NY), Lansdowne Yonkers FC (NY), Majestic SC (GA), New York Greek American SC (NY), New York Pancyprian Freedoms (NY), Oaklyn United FC (NJ), Patuxent FA (MD), Project Football (MA), Real Central NJ Soccer (NJ), SC Vistula Garfield (NJ), Vidas United FC (PA), Zum Schneider FC (NY)
Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Terminus FC (GA)
Bay State Soccer League / USASA (3 Teams):
Atletico Boston (MA), CD Faialense (MA), FC Omens (MA)
Colorado Premier League / USSSA (5 Teams):
Azteca FC (CO), Boulder United FC (CO), Colorado Rovers (CO), FC Denver (CO), Harpos FC (CO)
Dallas Soccer Alliance / USSSA (2 Teams):
Master Joga (TX), StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club (TX)
DC Premier League / USASA (2 Teams):
Guerrilla FC (DC), Oranje FC (MD)
Florida Suncoast Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Pinellas County United Pelicans SC
Garden State Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Scots-American Athletic Club (NJ)
Houston Football Association / USASA (1 Team):
ASC New Stars (TX)
Maryland Super Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Baltimore City F.C. (MD)
Metroplex Premier League / USSSA (2 Teams):
Dallas Atletico (TX), Denton Diablos (TX)
Midwest Premier League / USASA (3 Teams):
BOHFS St. Louis (MO), Chicago House AC (IL), Edgewater Castle FC (IL)
Mountain Premier League / USASA (1 Team):
Peak Eleven FC (CO)
North Coast Soccer League / USASA (1 Team):
Croatia Cleveland (OH)
National Premier Soccer League / USASA (10 Teams):
American Soccer Club New York (NY), Cleveland SC (OH), DMV Elite FC (MD), FC Florida (FL), Greenville United Football Club (NC), Grove United (VA), Iowa Demon Hawks (IA), Osner’s FC (NY), Philadelphia Ukrainians Nationals (PA), Real San Jose (CA)
Ohio Valley Premier League / US Club Soccer (1 Team):
Bootleggers AC (KY)
Premier Futbol League / USASA (1 Team):
Red Force (FL)
San Francisco Soccer Football League / USASA (4 Teams):
International San Francisco (CA), Norcal Shockwaves FC (CA), SF Vikings SC (CA), The Olympic Club (CA)
Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer / USSSA (1 Team):
Sharktopus Football Club (WA)
Soccer Premier League / USSSA (4 Teams):
Atletico Miami Internacional FC (FL), Boca Jrs Miami FC (FL), Fort Myers City FC (FL), River Miami FC (FL)
Southwest Premier League / USSSA (1 Team):
Dublin Celtic FC (CA)
The League for Clubs / USASA (7 Teams):
Albion SC Silicon Valley (CA), CF San Rafael (CA), FC Monmouth (NJ), Metropolitan Oval Academy (NY), Napa Valley 1839 FC (CA), San Ramon FC (CA), Tulsa Athletic (OK)
The Select League / US Club Soccer (1 Team):
Woodland Football Club (KS)
United Premier Soccer League (66 Teams):
210 FC (TX), Alexandria Reds (VA), Apple Valley Storm (CA), Ariana FC (CA), Arlington SA Pro (VA), Atletico Buford FC (GA), Badgers FC (FL), Bay Area United FC (CA), Bellevue Athletic FC (WA), Black Cat FC (IL), Bold City SC (FL), Briar United FC (NC), Brockton FC United (MA), Bulldogs SC (NJ), Capital City Islanders (PA), Chicago Strikers (IL), City SC San Diego (CA), City Soccer FC (FL), Deportivo Lake Mary FC (FL), Detroit Metro FC (MI), Doradus FC (VA), Eagles Sports Southaven F.C. (MS), Eclipse Soccer Academy (CA), Emerald FC Orlando (FL), FC America CFL Spurs (FL), FC Balboa (CA), FC Bartlesville Buffaloes (OK), FC Folsom (CA), FC Kanks (FL), FC Lonestar Gpse (NH), FCY New York (NY), Florida Futbol Club (FL), FORO SC (TX), Harbor City FC (FL), Ironbound SCP (NJ), Irvine FC (CA), Kalonji Pro-Profile (GA), Laguna United FC (CA), Limeño Georgia (GA), Miami United FC (FL), Mint Hill FC (NC), MoCo 1776 FC (MD), MSI Pro (MD), New Jersey Alliance FC (NJ), Next Level Soccer (AZ), North Georgia United (GA), NY Renegades FC (NY), Olympians FC (AZ), Omaha Street FC (NE), Palm Beach Flames SC (FL), Parkland Travel Soccer Club (FL), Potros FC (GA), Rebels SC (CA), San Diego Internacional (CA), SCU Heat (SC), Southern Indiana FC (IN), Southern Indiana Guardians FC (IN), Sporting NTX (TX), Stetson FA (FL), SVD Beaumont (TX), Tennessee United Soccer Club (TN), USA Soccer (NM), United SC (IL), Valley 559 FC (CA), Virginia Dream FC (VA), Wisloka Chicago (IL)
United Soccer League of Pennsylvania / USASA (2 Teams):
Colonial SC (PA), Vereinigung Erzgebirge Majors (PA)
United States Soccer League / USSSA (3 Teams):
Hurricane FC (FL), Miami Soccer Academy (FL), O’Shea’s FC (FL)
USL League Two (4 Teams):
Akron City FC (OH), Ballard FC (WA), Steel City FC (PA), Western Mass Pioneers (MA)
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.
