After three seasons of limited MLS involvement, all 27 U.S.-based Major League Soccer clubs will participate in the 2027 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The league made the announcement on Wednesday, September 2, confirming a significant structural shift for one of American soccer’s most historic competitions.
Between 2024 and 2026, MLS split its clubs between the Open Cup and the Leagues Cup, a tournament involving teams from MLS and Liga MX, Mexico’s top division.
MLS entered eight teams in the 2024 Open Cup, before increasing that number to 16 teams in both the 2025 and 2026 editions of the competition.
The news has been welcomed by long-time fans who value the Open Cup’s tradition of MLS sides facing clubs from lower divisions across the United States.
MLS originally pulled its first teams from the competition after the 2023 tournament, citing schedule congestion and concerns about how the event was being presented to audiences.
The league proposed that MLS Next Pro sides, effectively their reserve teams, take part in their place, but that proposal was ultimately rejected by competition organisers.
Under the newly agreed format, MLS teams will enter the tournament at the round of 64 stage in July, with MLS clubs also receiving hosting priority for their opening match.
Sources told The Athletic that the schedule has been structured specifically to ensure the Open Cup will not overlap with the Leagues Cup at any stage.
The final of the 2027 competition is scheduled to take place in December, giving the tournament a clear window within the broader soccer calendar.
Already, 155 amateur clubs have entered the 2027 edition, with qualification rounds for those teams set to begin on September 12 and 13, 2026.
Prize money for the competition doubled to $1 million in 2025, and media rights were sold to CBS for the 2025 and 2026 tournaments, boosting the event’s profile considerably.
An MLS team has won the Open Cup every year since 2000, underscoring the league’s dominance in the competition across more than two decades.
The 2026 semifinals will see the Colorado Rapids host St. Louis City and the Columbus Crew host Orlando City on September 16.
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