CHICAGO (Jan. 28, 2025) – U.S. Soccer has finalized the format for the 96-team 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament – the 110th edition of the historic national club championship that celebrates elite amateur and pro soccer in communities across the country. The Open Cup is the only competition in USA-based team sports where amateurs have the chance to play professionals in direct competition.
“The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a crucial connection point for all levels of soccer in the United States,” said U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson ahead of the tournament, first contested in 1913. “U.S. Soccer exists in service to soccer and this historic tournament allows us to lift up the people who are leading the charge to support soccer in their communities. We’re pleased to continue working with and collaborating with all U.S. Soccer members to maximize the tournament’s impact on the sport of soccer at all levels in this country.”
The field of 64 professional clubs includes 14 from USL League One and 10 sides from MLS NEXT Pro. The tournament will include the 24 teams of the USL Championship – with last year’s league champs Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC, last year’s Open Cup Semifinalists Indy Eleven and 2022 Open Cup Runners-up Sacramento Republic — and 16 teams from Major League Soccer (MLS), including former Open Cup Champions Chicago Fire, D.C. United, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, New England Revolution and Orlando City.
The eight lowest seeded USLC teams enter in the First Round along with USL League One and MLS NEXT Pro sides. The 16 higher-seeded USLC clubs will enter in the Third Round, and the 16 MLS teams enter the tournament in the Round of 32.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship and has crowned a champion annually since 1914 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). The historic tournament is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the United States and the world’s third-longest continuously run national cup tournament.
2025 Open Cup Format Details
The First Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will consist of 32 games with 32 amateur clubs from the Open Division going up against 32 professional teams.
The winners of the First Round will play each other in a Second Round consisting of 16 games. The 16 Second Round winners will then be matched up against the 16 highest-ranked professional teams from the USL Championship in the Third Round. USL Championship Teams were seeded by conference, with the top eight clubs in each conference entering in the Third Round. Third Round-winners will square off against the teams of Major League Soccer (MLS).
For a full list of the USL Championship clubs participating and the schedule for the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition windows, please see below.
2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Schedule
First Round March 18-20
Second Round April 1-2
Third Round April 15-16
Round of 32 May 6-7
Round of 16 May 20-21
Quarterfinals July 8-9
Semifinal Sept. 16-17
Final Oct. 1
USL Championship 24 teams
(8 * teams enter in the First Round and 16 ** enter in the Third Round)
Teams marked with + seeded to host in Third Round
Birmingham Legion FC*
Charleston Battery** +
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC ** +
Detroit City FC** +
El Paso Locomotive*
FC Tulsa*
Hartford Athletic*
Indy Eleven** +
Las Vegas Lights FC** +
Lexington SC*
Loudoun United FC*
Louisville City FC** +
Miami FC*
Monterey Bay FC*
New Mexico United** +
North Carolina FC**
Oakland Roots SC**
Orange County SC**
Phoenix Rising FC**
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC**
Rhode Island FC**
Sacramento Republic FC** +
San Antonio FC**
Tampa Bay Rowdies**
