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St. Louis City Wins 2026 U.S. Open Cup on Penalties

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 3:18 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

St. Louis City SC beat Columbus Crew on penalties to win the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
Backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt saved Santiago Rodríguez’s first spot-kick in the shootout.
St. Louis converted all five penalties, securing a 5-3 shootout victory.
The win earned $600,000 and a 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup berth.
It was the first final to go to penalties since 2015 and the first without a goal since 1997.

History

Historical Context

The 2015 U.S. Open Cup final in Chicago saw Chicago Fire beat Philadelphia Union 3-2 on penalties, the tournament’s first shootout win since 1995. U.S. Soccer granted the champion $600,000 and a 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup berth, exceeding the 2015 final’s $500,000 prize by $100,000. In 2026, St. Louis City SC mirrored that shootout, beating Columbus Crew 5-3 after a 0-0 draw, with Ben Lundt saving Santiago Rodríguez’s first spot-kick. The victory secured St. Louis’s inaugural CONCACAF Champions Cup appearance, reinforcing MLS clubs’ growing financial incentives and spotlighting penalty expertise as a decisive tournament factor.

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Story summary

St. Louis City SC beat Columbus Crew on penalties to win the 2026 U.S. Open Cup.
Backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt saved Santiago Rodríguez’s first spot-kick in the shootout.
St. Louis converted all five penalties, securing a 5-3 shootout victory.
The win earned $600,000 and a 2027 CONCACAF Champions Cup berth.
It was the first final to go to penalties since 2015 and the first without a goal since 1997.

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