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 145 amateur teams competing for 16 local qualifying slots, and took 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.
Qualification procedure 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.
Starting in 2019, the winner of the previous year's National Amateur Cup automatically qualifies for the U.S. Open Cup. 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. 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. 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.
Amateur qualification National Amateur Cup 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.
United Premier Soccer League Spring Champions Tennessee Tempo FC defeated LA 10 FC 1–0, to win the 2025 UPSL Spring Championships and earning a direct qualification into the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
John Motta Trophy winner 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.
Local qualifying 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.
Schedule +Schedule for 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup QualifyingRoundMatch dayNew TeamsEntrantsTeams entered to dateFirst Qualifying RoundSeptember 13 & 14444444Second Qualifying RoundOctober 11 & 1296118140Third Qualifying RoundNovember 1 & 2564145Fourth Qualifying RoundNovember 22 & 23032145
Number of teams by state and league A total of 29 states and the District of Columbia are represented by clubs in the U.S. Open Cup Qualification this year.
StatesNumber LeagueTeams113United Premier Soccer LeagueAmerica 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 FA4Soccer Premier LeagueAtletico Miami Internacional FC, Boca Jrs Miami FC, Fort Myers City FC, River Miami FC3United States Soccer LeagueHurricane FC, Miami Soccer Academy, O’Shea's FC1Florida Suncoast Soccer LeaguePinellas County United Pelicans SC1National Premier Soccer LeagueFC Florida1Premier Futbol LeagueRed Force FC212United Premier Soccer LeagueApple 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 FC4San Francisco Soccer Football LeagueInternational San Francisco, Norcal Shockwaves FC, SF Vikings SC, The Olympic Club4The League for ClubsAlbion SC Silicon Valley, CF San Rafael, Napa Valley 1839 FC, San Ramon FC1National Premier Soccer LeagueReal San Jose1Southwest Premier LeagueDublin Celtic FC36American Premier Soccer LeagueCentral Park Rangers FC, Doxa SC, Lansdowne Yonkers FC, New York Greek American SC, New York Pancyprian-Freedoms, Zum Schneider FC2National Premier Soccer LeagueAmerican Soccer Club New York, Osner's FC2United Premier Soccer LeagueFCY New York, NY Renegades FC1The League for ClubsMetropolitan Oval Academy44United Premier Soccer League210 FC, Foro SC, Sporting NTX, SVD Beaumont2Dallas Soccer AllianceMaster Joga, StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club2Metroplex Premier LeagueDallas Atletico, Denton Diablos FC1Houston Football AssociationASC New Stars53America Premier Soccer LeagueOaklyn United FC, Real Central NJ Soccer, SC Vistula Garfield3United Premier Soccer LeagueBulldogs SC, Ironbound SCP, New Jersey Alliance FC1Garden State Soccer LeagueScots-American Athletic Club1The League for ClubsFC Monmouth62America Premier Soccer LeagueChristos FC, Patuxent FA2United Premier Soccer LeagueMoCo 1776 FC, MSI Pro1DC Premier LeagueOranje FC1Maryland Super Soccer LeagueBaltimore City F.C.1National Premier Soccer LeagueDMV Elite FC5United Premier Soccer LeagueAtletico Buford FC, Kalonji Pro-Profile, Limeño Georgia, North Georgia United, Potros FC1America Premier Soccer LeagueMajestic SC1Atlanta District Amateur Soccer LeagueTerminus FC4United Premier Soccer LeagueAlexandria Reds, Arlington SA Pro, Doradus FC, Virginia Dream FC2American Premier LeagueAegean Hawks, Yinz United1National Premier Soccer LeagueGrove United F.C.95Colorado Premier LeagueAzteca FC, Boulder United FC, Colorado Rovers, FC Denver, Harpos FC1Mountain Premier LeaguePeak Eleven FC4United Premier Soccer LeagueBlack Cat FC, Chicago Strikers, United SC, Wisloka Chicago2Midwest Premier LeagueChicago House AC, Edgewater Castle FC3Bay State Soccer LeagueAtletico Boston, CD Faialense, FC Omens1America Premier Soccer LeagueProject Football1United Premier Soccer LeagueBrockton FC United1USL League TwoWestern Mass Pioneers2United Soccer League of PennsylvaniaColonial SC, Vereinigung Erzgebirge1America Premier Soccer LeagueVidas United FC1National Premier Soccer LeaguePhiladelphia Ukrainians Nationals1United Premier Soccer LeagueCapital City Islanders1USL League TwoSteel City FC132United Premier Soccer LeagueBriar United FC, Mint Hill FC1National Premier Soccer LeagueGreenville United Football Club1North Coast Soccer LeagueCroatia Cleveland1National Premier Soccer LeagueCleveland SC1USL League TwoAkron City FC1Sharktopus Football Club1United Premier Soccer LeagueBellevue Athletic FC1USL League TwoBallard FC162United Premier Soccer LeagueNext Level Soccer, Olympians FC2United Premier Soccer LeagueSouthern Indiana FC, Southern Indiana Guardians FC1The League for ClubsTulsa Athletic1United Premier Soccer LeagueFC Bartlesville Buffaloes191DC Premier LeagueGuerrilla FC1National Premier Soccer LeagueIowa Demon Hawks1The Select LeagueWoodland Football Club1Ohio Valley Premier LeagueBootleggers AC1United Premier Soccer LeagueDetroit Metro FC1United Premier Soccer LeagueEagles Sports Southaven F.C.1Midwest Premier LeagueBOHFS St. Louis1United Premier Soccer LeagueOmaha Street FC1United Premier Soccer LeagueFC Lonestar Gpse1United Premier Soccer LeagueUDA Soccer1United Premier Soccer LeagueSCU Heat1United Premier Soccer LeagueTennessee United Soccer Club
First Qualifying Round The first qualifying round matches were held on September 13 & 14, 2025. 101 clubs got first qualifying round byes.
Byes: 210 FC, Akron City FC, Alexandria Reds, Apple Valley Storm, Ariana FC, ASC New Stars, Atletico Boston, Atletico Buford FC, Atletico Miami Internacional FC, Azteca FC, Badgers FC, Ballard FC, Baltimore City F.C., Bay Area United FC, Bellevue Athletic FC, Boca Jrs Miami FC, BOHFS St. Louis, Bold City SC, Bootleggers AC, Briar United FC, Brockton FC United, Bulldogs SC, Capital City Islanders, CD Faialense, Central Park Rangers FC, CF San Rafael, Chicago House AC, City SC San Diego, City Soccer FC, Cleveland SC, Croatia Cleveland, Deportivo Lake Mary FC, Detroit Metro FC, DMV Elite FC, Dublin Celtic FC, Eagles Sports Southaven F.C., Emerald FC Orlando, FC America CFL Spurs, FC Balboa, FC Florida, FC Folsom, FC Kanks, FC Lonestar Gpse, FC Monmouth, FC Omens FCY New York, Florida Futbol Club, Fort Myers City FC, Greenville United Football Club, Grove United, Guerrilla FC, Harbor City FC, Harpos FC, Hurricane FC, International San Francisco, Iowa Demon Hawks, Ironbound SCP, Irvine FC, Kalonji Pro-Profile, Laguna United FC, Lansdowne Yonkers FC, Limeno Georgia, Master Joga, Metropolitan Oval Academyy, Miami Soccer Academy, Miami United FC, Mint Hill FC, MoCo 1776 FC, Next Level Soccer, North Georgia United, Oaklyn United FC, Olympians FC, Omaha Street FC, O’Shea's FC, Osner's FC, Palm Beach Flames SC, Parkland Travel Soccer Club, Pinellas County United Pelicans SC, Potros FC, Project Football, Real San Jose, Rebels SC, Red Force, River Miami FC, San Diego Internacional, San Ramon FC, SC Vistula Garfield, SCU Heat, Sharktopus Football Club, Steel City FC, Stetson FC, StrikerZ DFW Soccer Club, SVD Beaumont, Tennessee United Soccer Club, UDA Soccer, United SC, Valley 559 FC, Virginia Dream FC, Western Mass Pioneers, Woodland Football Club, Zum Schneider FC
Second Qualifying Round The second qualifying round matches took place October 10–14, 2025. 5 clubs got second qualifying round byes.
Byes: Ballard FC, Brockton FC United, City Soccer FC, Laguna United FC, UDA Soccer
Re-play Replay was ordered by USSF after Sharktopus successfully protested the first match after discovering the referee was a member of the Bellevue Athletic organization.
Third Qualifying Round The fifty-nine second round winners and five teams that received second round byes played the third qualifying round November 1-2.
Final Qualifying Round The thirty-two third round winners played the fourth and final qualifying round November 22–23. The winner of each of the 16 ties officially qualified for the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
References