MLS Teams Return for Full Participation in the 2027 U.S. Open Cup

All 27 U.S.-based Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs will enter the 2027 U.S. Open Cup, with entry slated for the Round of 64 in July. The tournament’s final is scheduled for December, and the revised schedule is designed to avoid overlap with the Leagues Cup, the MLS-Liga MX competition. Under the new format, the Open Cup will feature the complete MLS roster for the first time since the 2023 edition, when only a subset of clubs competed.

New York TimesSources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup

In December 2023, MLS announced that its first-team clubs would withdraw from the 2024 Open Cup, citing schedule congestion and concerns about the competition’s governance by the U.S. Soccer Federation. The league’s decision coincided with the rollout of the commercially driven Leagues Cup and raised questions about revenue sharing, broadcast rights, and competition standards, all controlled by U.S. Soccer.

New York TimesSources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup

U.S. The 2024 edition proceeded with only eight MLS clubs, while the league gave priority to the Leagues Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

Sources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup New York Times

The Open Cup’s prize pool was doubled to $1 million beginning in 2025, and media rights were sold to CBS for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. The new format also opens slots for MLS Next Pro teams, the league’s third-division affiliate, providing those clubs a larger competitive stage. These adjustments aim to balance the tournament’s historic significance with the modern calendar pressures faced by MLS.

New York Times

Full participation restores the Open Cup’s status as a nationwide competition involving every top-flight U.S. club. It also addresses stakeholder criticism that MLS’s earlier withdrawal undermined the tournament’s integrity. By aligning the schedule with the Leagues Cup and enhancing financial rewards, MLS hopes to mitigate previous concerns about revenue splits—U.S. Soccer had collected up to 50 % of ticket revenue for semifinals and the final—and to reaffirm cooperation with the federation.

New York TimesSources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup

MLS reiterated that its earlier pull-out was driven by “essential goals and concerns” related to tournament logistics and commercial considerations. U.S. Soccer’s statement emphasized adherence to the Professional League Standards, which mandate participation in all eligible U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF events. Both parties now present the 2027 format as a mutually agreeable solution that respects the Open Cup’s legacy while accommodating MLS’s evolving schedule.

Sources: MLS to return all of its teams to the U.S. Open Cup New York Times