2026 U.S. Open Cup qualification
| Tournament details | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Dates | September 13 – November 23, 2025 |
| Teams | 146 |
The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup qualification served as local qualification for the 111th edition of the oldest soccer tournament in the United States. The tournament proper will feature both professional and amateur teams in the United States soccer league system.
Qualification for the 2026 tournament included local qualifying matches contested by 146 amateur teams, fighting for 16 local qualifying slots, and will take place in 2025. United Premier Soccer League has the highest representation with 66 teams entering the tournament. Three teams have already qualified, West Chester United SC by winning the 2025 National Amateur Cup, Tennessee Tempo FC by winning the 2025 United Premier Soccer League Spring Championships, and the 2025 John Motta Trophy Winner El Farolito SC, the Open Division Prize Winner from the 2025 tournament.[1]
Qualification procedure
[edit]Clubs based in the United States that play in a league that is an organization member of U.S. Soccer are generally eligible to compete for the U.S. Open Cup, so long as their league includes at least four teams and has a schedule of at least 10 matches for each club. To be eligible, teams must be members in good standing of their leagues on December 31, 2025, and remain so through the 2026 final. Any team that started its first season of competition in an existing league must have started its new league's schedule no later 30 days prior to the Open Division Entry Deadline.[2]
Starting in 2019, the winner of the previous year's National Amateur Cup automatically qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup.[3] The cup winner enters the tournament proper in the first round with the other local qualifiers. Beginning in 2024, the United Premier Soccer League Spring Champion also earned a direct entry into the first round proper of the tournament.[4] Starting in 2025, the Open-Division team that performed the best in the previous tournament are awarded the John Motta Trophy and granted direct access into the tournament proper.[5] These three teams along with the 16 local qualifiers account for 19 of the 32 amateur teams that qualify for the tournament proper in 2025. The other 13 teams come from the National Premier Soccer League and USL League Two. Four teams from National Premier Soccer League and nine teams from USL League Two qualify through national league pathways, which use previous summer season standings to determine teams that qualify.[1]
Amateur qualification
[edit]National Amateur Cup
[edit]West Chester United SC defeated RWB Adria 4–3 in extra time, to win the 2025 National Amateur Cup and qualify for the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.[6]
United Premier Soccer League Spring Champions
[edit]Tennessee Tempo FC defeated LA10 FC 1–0, to win the 2025 UPSL Spring Championships and earning a direct qualification into the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.[7]
John Motta Trophy winner
[edit]El Farolito SC advanced the furthest in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup, earning both the $50,000 bonus and the John Motta Trophy. Based on their performance in the previous tournament, El Farolito qualifies directly into the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.[5]
Local qualifying
[edit]U.S. Soccer originally announced that 146 teams would participate in local qualifying. Four rounds of local qualifying matches will result in 16 clubs advancing to the tournament proper. The teams will be organized into 16 regional pools prior to the qualifying round draw.[8]
Schedule
[edit]| Round | Match day | New Teams | Entrants | Teams entered to date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Qualifying Round | September 13 & 14 | |||
| Second Qualifying Round | October 11 & 12 | |||
| Third Qualifying Round | October 1 & 2 | |||
| Fourth Qualifying Round | November 22 & 23 |
Number of teams by state and league
[edit]A total of 29 states and the District of Columbia are represented by clubs in the U.S. Open Cup Qualification this year.[1]
| States | Number | League | Teams | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Florida
|
13 | United Premier Soccer League | America CFL Spurs, Badgers FC, Bold City SC, City Soccer FC, Deportivo Lake Mary FC, Emerald FC Orlando, FC Kanks, Florida Futbol Club, Harbor City FC, Miami United FC, Palm Beach Flames SC, Parkland Travel Soccer Club, Stetson FA |
| 4 | Soccer Premier League | Atletico Miami Internacional FC, Boca Jrs Miami FC, Fort Myers City FC, River Miami FC | ||
| 3 | United States Soccer League | Hurricane FC, Miami Soccer Academy, O’Shea’s FC | ||
| 1 | Florida Suncoast Soccer League | Pinellas County United Pelicans SC | ||
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | FC Florida | ||
| 1 | Premier Futbol League | Red Force FC | ||
| 2 |  California
|
12 | United Premier Soccer League | Apple Valley Storm, Ariana FC, Bay Area United FC, City SC San Diego, Eclipse Soccer Academy, FC Balboa, FC Folsom, Irvine FC, Laguna United FC, Rebels SC, San Diego Internacional, Valley 559 FC |
| 4 | San Francisco Soccer Football League | International San Francisco, Norcal Shockwaves FC, SF Vikings SC, The Olympic Club | ||
| 4 | The League for Clubs | Albion SC Silicon Valley, CF San Rafael, Napa Valley 1839 FC, San Ramon FC | ||
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | Real San Jose | ||
| 1 | Southwest Premier League | Dublin Celtic FC | ||
| 3 |  New York
|
6 | American Premier Soccer League | Central Park Rangers FC, Doxa SC, Lansdowne Yonkers FC, New York Greek American SC, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms, Zum Schneider FC |
| 2 | National Premier Soccer League | American Soccer Club New York, Osner’s FC | ||
| 2 | United Premier Soccer League | FCY New York, NY Renegades FC | ||
| 1 | The League for Clubs | Metropolitan Oval Academy | ||
| 4 |  Texas
|
4 | United Premier Soccer League | 210 FC, Foro SC, Sporting NTX, SVD Beaumont |
| 2 | Dallas Soccer Alliance | Master Joga, StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club | ||
| 2 | Metroplex Premier League | Dallas Atletico, Denton Diablos FC | ||
| 1 | Houston Football Association | ASC New Stars | ||
| 5 |  New Jersey
|
3 | America Premier Soccer League | Oaklyn United FC, Real Central NJ Soccer, SC Vistula Garfield |
| 3 | United Premier Soccer League | Bulldogs SC, Ironbound SCP, New Jersey Alliance FC | ||
| 1 | Garden State Soccer League | Scots-American Athletic Club | ||
| 1 | The League for Clubs | FC Monmouth | ||
 Virginia
|
4 | United Premier Soccer League | Alexandria Reds, Arlington SA Pro, Doradus FC, Virginia Dream FC | |
| 3 | American Premier League | Aegean Hawks, Los Toros, Yinz United | ||
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | Grove United F.C. | ||
| 7 |  Maryland
|
2 | America Premier Soccer League | Christos FC, Patuxent FA |
| 2 | United Premier Soccer League | MoCo 1776 FC, MSI Pro | ||
| 1 | DC Premier League | Oranje FC | ||
| 1 | Maryland Super Soccer League | Baltimore City F.C. | ||
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | DMV Elite FC | ||
 Georgia
|
5 | United Premier Soccer League | Atletico Buford FC, Kalonji Pro-Profile, Limeño Georgia, North Georgia United, Potros FC | |
| 1 | America Premier Soccer League | Majestic SC | ||
| 1 | Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League | Terminus FC | ||
| 9 |  Colorado
|
5 | Colorado Premier League | Azteca FC, Boulder United FC, Colorado Rovers, FC Denver, Harpos FC |
| 1 | Mountain Premier League | Peak Eleven FC | ||
 Illinois
|
4 | United Premier Soccer League | Black Cat FC, Chicago Strikers, United SC, Wisloka Chicago | |
| 2 | Midwest Premier League | Chicago House AC, Edgewater Castle FC | ||
 Massachusetts
|
3 | Bay State Soccer League | Atletico Boston, CD Faialense, FC Omens | |
| 1 | America Premier Soccer League | Project Football | ||
| 1 | United Premier Soccer League | Brockton FC United | ||
| 1 | USL League Two | Western Mass Pioneers | ||
 Pennsylvania
|
2 | United Soccer League of Pennsylvania | Colonial SC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge | |
| 1 | America Premier Soccer League | Vidas United FC | ||
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | Philadelphia Ukrainians Nationals | ||
| 1 | United Premier Soccer League | Capital City Islanders | ||
| 1 | USL League Two | Steel City FC | ||
| 13 |  North Carolina
|
2 | United Premier Soccer League | Briar United FC, Mint Hill FC |
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | Greenville United Football Club | ||
 Ohio
|
1 | North Coast Soccer League | Croatia Cleveland | |
| 1 | National Premier Soccer League | Cleveland SC | ||
| 1 | USL League Two | Akron City FC | ||
 Washington
|
1 | Seattle Recreational Adult Team Soccer | Sharktopus Football Club | |
| 1 | United Premier Soccer League | Bellevue Athletic FC | ||
| 1 | USL League Two | Ballard FC | ||
| 16 |  Arizona
|
2 | United Premier Soccer League | Next Level Soccer, Olympians FC |
 Indiana
|
2 | United Premier Soccer League | Southern Indiana FC, Southern Indiana Guardians FC | |
 Oklahoma
|
1 | The League for Clubs | Tulsa Athletic | |
| 1 | United Premier Soccer League | FC Bartlesville Buffaloes | ||
| 19 |  District of Columbia
|
1 | DC Premier League | Guerrilla FC |
 Iowa
|
1 | National Premier Soccer League | Iowa Demon Hawks | |
 Kansas
|
1 | The Select League | Woodland Football Club | |
 Kentucky
|
1 | Ohio Valley Premier League | Bootleggers AC | |
 Michigan
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | Detroit Metro FC | |
 Mississippi
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | Eagles Sports Southaven F.C. | |
 Missouri
|
1 | Midwest Premier League | BOHFS St. Louis | |
 Nebraska
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | Omaha Street FC | |
 New Hampshire
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | FC Lonestar Gpse | |
 New Mexico
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | USA Soccer | |
 South Carolina
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | SCU Heat | |
 Tennessee
|
1 | United Premier Soccer League | Tennessee United Soccer Club |
- States without a team in the Open Cup Qualification: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Sillick, Jake (August 22, 2025). "2026 U.S. Open Cup Qualifying: 146 teams will enter qualifying tournament, smashing records". TheCup.us. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ "2025 U.S. Open Cup Entry Information". United States Soccer Federation. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ "First-Round Matchups: Of Open Cup Qualifying". FrontRowSoccer.com. August 29, 2022. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ Wolf, Liam (August 7, 2023). "AS Frenzi wins 2023 UPSL title, secures 2024 US Open Cup berth". TheCup.us. theCup.us. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ a b Sillick, Jake (July 29, 2025). "2026 US Open Cup: Which Open Division teams will get direct entry in Round 1?". TheCup.us. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
- ^ 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 August 21, 2025.
- ^ 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 August 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "Record-Shattering 146 Clubs to Particpate in Open Division Qualifying for 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup". United States Soccer Federation. August 22, 2025. Retrieved August 22, 2025.