16 Spots in 2026 U.S. Open Cup on the Line During Fourth Qualifying Round this Weekend
Half of Open Division Berths into 111th Edition of U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship to be Settled Between 32 Amateur Hopefuls November 22-23
ATLANTA (Nov. 20, 2025) – A record-setting Qualifying Stage of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will conclude on November 22-23 during the Fourth Qualifying Round for the 2026 edition of U.S. Soccer’s Club Championship.
The record field of 145 amateur squads that entered the competition in September has been whittled down to 32 remaining hopefuls that will take to fields across the country this Saturday and Sunday. For the second consecutive year, the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tournament Proper will include 32 Open Division teams, with 16 of those squads earning their way via the Qualifying Rounds.
The Fourth Qualifying Round includes teams representing 19 states. Still standing among the 32 teams are seven sides – Ballard FC, CD Faialense, Harbor City FC, Miami United FC, NY Renegades FC, Southern Indiana FC, and Virginia Dream FC – seeking to earn a return trip to the Tournament Proper after appearing in the 2025 edition earlier this year.
The contests start Saturday evening with a Rust Belt row that sees Pittsburgh-based Steel City FC head near the shores of Lake Erie to face Croatia Cleveland. CD Faialense (at FC Lonestar Gpse) and Virginia Dream FC (at MSI Pro) will look to punch their tickets back Saturday against local foes from the Boston and DC areas, respectively, while Southern Indiana FC (vs. Briar United FC) and Ballard FC (vs. Valley 559 FC) will end their paths back by playing host to visitors that have to log some of the longest trips of the round. The first day’s action closes with a pair of “Open Cup After Dark” matches – an all SoCal showdown between Laguna United FC and San Diego Internacional and a Western affair in Arizona between squads representing Phoenix (Next Level Soccer) and Denver (Azteca FC).
Sunday’s nine-game calendar opens with a Midwest matinee in Missouri pitting previous Open Cup darlings Chicago House AC against BOHFS St. Louis. From there Florida gets the spotlight with a trio of intra-state games that will decide Sunshine State supremacy, one in Central Florida (Orlando’s FC America CFL Spurs vs. Melbourne Beach-based Harbor City FC) and two in the Greater Miami area (Miami United FC vs. Badgers FC and Red Force vs. City Soccer SC).
New York City will provide the backdrop for a metro area matchup between Zum Schneider FC and NY Renegades FC, while a battle for New Jersey will go down on the southern end of the state between Oaklyn United FC and SC Vistula Garfield. Dallas and Houston area sides will square off when Denton Diablos host ASC New Stars on the campus of the University of North Texas, while two clubs that span the outer limits of suburban Atlanta, Kalonji Pro-Profile and Potros FC, will dual in Snellville.
The final Open Division berth to the 2026 Tournament Proper will be awarded in the Bay Area, with San Ramon FC hosting The Olympic Club out of San Francisco.
Fans of the Cup can visit usopencup.com for Qualifying Round scores and schedules as play progresses.
2026 U.S. Open Cup Fourth Qualifying Round Matches
Home teams listed first, and venues & times are subject to change;
Saturday, Nov. 22
Croatia Cleveland vs. Steel City FC | Mentor H.S. Soccer Stadium; Mentor, Ohio | 5 p.m. ET
FC Lonestar Gpse vs. CD Faialense | Veterans Memorial Stadium; Lawrence, Mass. | 6 p.m. ET
Southern Indiana FC vs. Briar United FC | Green Valley Soccer Complex; New Albany, Ind. | 6 p.m. ET
MSI Pro vs. Virginia Dream FC | Martin Luther King Jr. Rec. Park; Silver Spring, Md. | 7:30 p.m. ET
Ballard FC vs. Valley 559 FC | Interbay Stadium; Seattle, Wash. | 5 p.m. PT
Next Level Soccer vs. Azteca FC | Highley H.S.; Gilbert, Ariz. | 7 p.m. MT
Laguna United FC vs. San Diego Internacional | La Paz Sports Park; Laguna Niguel, Calif. | 6 p.m. PT
Sunday. Nov. 23
BOHFS St. Louis vs. Chicago House AC | St. Mary’s H.S.; St. Louis, Mo. | 2 p.m. CT
FC America CFL Spurs vs. Harbor City FC | Lake Mary H.S. Stadium; Lake Mary, Fla. | 4:30 p.m. ET
Oaklyn United FC vs. SC Vistula Garfield | Rowan University Soccer Stadium; Glassboro, N.J. | 6 p.m. ET
Miami United FC vs. Badgers FC | Central Broward Park; Lauderhill, Fla. | 7 p.m. ET
Zum Schneider FC vs. NY Renegades FC | Jack McManus Field; New York, N.Y. | 7 p.m. ET
Denton Diablos vs. ASC New Stars | Mean Green Soccer Stadium; Denton, Texas | 6 p.m. CT
Kalonji Pro-Profile vs. Potros FC | Shiloh H.S.; Snellville, Ga. | 7 p.m. ET
Red Force vs. City Soccer FC | Kendal Soccer Park; Miami, Fla. | 7:30 p.m. ET
San Ramon FC vs. The Olympic Club | Tiffany Roberts Field; San Ramon, Calif. | 7 p.m. PT
About the U.S. Soccer Federation
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.
About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
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 2026 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2027 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. Nashville SC of MLS is the defending U.S. Open Cup Champion. The 110th edition of the tournament concluded on October 1, 2025, with NSC defeating Austin FC to claim the Tennessee club’s first piece of major silverware.
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.