They’re back.
After three seasons with only a select group of Major League Soccer teams taking part in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, all 27 U.S.-based MLS teams will participate in the 2027 edition of the competition, the league announced Wednesday, Sept. 2.
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Between 2024-2026, the legue sent some teams to the Open Cup, while others contested the Leagues Cup, a relatively new tournament between teams in MLS and those in Liga MX, Mexico’s top division.
Now, all eligible teams will be back in the competition, a return welcomed by many long-time fans who have seen their clubs compete against clubs from lower-divisions or go on a long run to earn a place in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
MLS teams will enter at the round of 64. Already, 155 amateur clubs have entered the 2027 edition of the tournament, with qualification rounds for those teams starting Sept. 12-13, 2026.
“The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup connects all leagues, clubs and fans in a unique way,” longtime MLS executive Nelson Rodriguez said in a news release. “For MLS clubs, it’s a chance to write a special chapter in the tournament’s history and earn qualification to the Concacaf Champions Cup.”
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The change comes thanks in part to tweaks to the competition and also MLS’ calendar change. MLS is switching to a schedule that will see the league start in the summer and culminate in spring playoffs. Next year, however, the league also will have a “sprint season” running from February-May 2027.
Much of the Open Cup will shift to the fall, with the round of 32 set for Sept. 14-15, 2027, the quarterfinals in late November, the semifinals on Dec. 1 and the 2027 final taking place Dec. 15.
In addition to slotting in with MLS’ calendar change, U.S. Soccer also has loosened roster regulations, increasing matchday squads to 20 players from 18 to accommodate concerns about fatigue. More young players also might be called upon, with MLS teams able to call upon any player contracted to the first team, their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate or academy players.
The U.S. Open Cup started in 1914 and is currently organized by U.S. Soccer, the governing body for the sport in the U.S. While the two organizations often work in tandem, the Open Cup became a point of division, with MLS commissioner Don Garber saying in 2023 that the tournament was “a very poor reflection on what it is that we’re trying to do with soccer at the highest level.”
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In addition to the changes coming for 2027, U.S. Soccer also has boosted broadcast quality and expanded access and has doubled the prize money on offer since the last edition in which MLS fully participated.
An MLS team has been the champion of the Open Cup every year since 2000. The semifinals of the 2026 edition will take place Sept. 16 with the Colorado Rapids hosting St. Louis City and the Columbus Crew hosting Orlando City. Three teams from outside MLS, One Knoxville SC, Louisville City FC and the Colorado Springs Switchbacks made the round of 16 but were eliminated there.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: All MLS teams returning to U.S. Open Cup in 2027 after tweaks to competition
