MLS returns to the country’s historic competition with a new format coming for 2027 and beyond
By Noah Zimmerman
noah@queensledger.com
Major League Soccer clubs will return to the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in 2027. After pulling first teams out of the historic competition just a few years ago, the top division of US soccer will be back to featuring in the tournament.
This year, New York City FC was one of 16 MLS clubs participating in the Open Cup. Most USOC slots were awarded to teams not competing in the Concacaf Champions Cup or Leagues Cup. The Boys in Blue made a decent push in the competition, taking down local sides Westchester SC (USL) and Red Bull New York (MLS) before eventually falling to the Columbus Crew (MLS) in the Quarterfinals.
Starting in 2027, NYC will once again be joined by the other 26 US-based clubs looking to win the country’s longest-lasting cup competition. Of course, this again makes the path to glory far more difficult for clubs outside of the top division. Only once has a non-MLS side won the Open Cup since Major League Soccer played their first season in 1996 (the Rochester Rhinos famously won the cup in 1998).
MLS clubs will enter the competition in the Round of 64, scheduled to kick off around the start of the updated league calendar in July. Top-division clubs will receive hosting priority for that round, with most advancing teams likely hitting the road for the following matchup (Round of 32 matches will be played in mid-September).
As of now, the Open Cup quarterfinals are penciled in for late November, with the semifinals on December 1 and the final set for December 15. It will be a great way to end the year, and hopefully the updated MLS calendar and participation will once again revitalize the country’s most historic soccer competition.
