ATLANTA (July 8, 2025) – U.S. Soccer has announced the Open Division details for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, including changes to qualifying, team entry, and the establishment of the John Motta Trophy to be presented annually to the top-performing Open Division team in the competition.
Beginning with the 2026 competition all teams will enter directly via the U.S. Soccer Federation, eliminating the National League qualifying track which was utilized by NPSL and USL League Two to send teams into the Tournament Proper for the past decade.
Teams entering via the Qualifying Rounds can register now through August 4 at usopencup.com.
In place of the National League qualifying track, the U.S. Open Cup will now allocate byes into the Tournament Proper to high-performing teams from select competitions. Teams from the former National League qualifying track that do not receive a bye will be eligible to enter via the Qualifying Rounds.
The 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will again provide 32 slots for teams from the Open Division.
The slots will be allocated as follows:
Slot allocation will be reviewed on an annual basis and will consider historic participation and overall sporting and operational excellence, with consideration given to the availability of a league’s teams to participate in the Qualifying Rounds.
All teams awarded a bye into the Tournament Proper must accept entry by a deadline set prior to the announcement of the Qualifying Rounds schedule. Any slots that are unclaimed will become available via the Qualifying Rounds.
The Open Division Entry Period for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will begin on Tuesday, July 8, and close on Monday, August 4, 2025.
The Match Windows for the Fall 2025 Qualifying Rounds of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will begin in September and conclude in November of 2025.
Most teams will begin their Open Cup journey on one of the first two qualifying round dates depending on the final number of entries and rounds required to reach a field of 16 teams that will advance to the Tournament Proper in 2026.
Qualifying Round Match Windows
September 13-14, 2025
October 11-12, 2025
November 1-2, 2025
November 22-23, 2025
Teams interested in entering the 2026 U.S. Open Cup can visit usopencup.com to view entry details and updated competition regulations.
The U.S. Soccer Federation Adult Council has established the John Motta Trophy to be presented annually to the Open Division team that receives the prize money as the Open Division team that advances the furthest in the U.S. Open Cup.
El Farolito, the winner of the $50,000 prize in 2025, will be the first team presented with the John Motta Trophy. Based on the 2026 Open Division format, El Farolito will also receive a bye into the Tournament Proper of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
The trophy is named for John Motta, who has been a long-serving member of the soccer community in the United States. Currently a member of the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors, Motta previously served as U.S. Adult Soccer Association President from 2014-2024, New Hampshire Soccer Association president from 1988-1998, and as U.S. Soccer Vice President from 1998-2000.
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.
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.