Who is playing in the US Open Cup 2024? MLS clubs in reworked tournament, NEXT Pro teams participate

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup may be the oldest domestic soccer competition in the United States by a considerable margin, but in its 109th edition of play, there’s a nervy feeling of new beginnings around the famed tournament.

Major League Soccer and the U.S. Soccer federation announced that only a handful of MLS clubs will participate in this year’s tournament.

MLS clubs have featured in the U.S. Open Cup since the league began play in 1996, dominating the event by winning all but two of the 27 tournaments since then. However, the league has stated that they are concerned with the sustainability of the current format, preferring to pour significant resources into the new Leagues Cup, while the U.S. Open Cup is sacrificed.

Last winter, MLS attempted to withdraw all clubs from the competition, but when that proposal was rejected by U.S. Soccer, the two sides came to a partial agreement. Eight clubs from MLS will enter this year’s event, while 10 more affiliated youth sides from MLS NEXT Pro will take the place of others.

MORE: Why are only a few MLS clubs participating in the 2024 US Open Cup?

How to watch 2024 US Open Cup

All matches of the 2024 U.S. Open Cup will be broadcast, as U.S. Soccer hopes to increase the tournament’s visibility.

Full broadcast details of the entire tournament have not been announced, but it was revealed that all first and second-round matches will be streamed on the official websites of U.S. Soccer, Major League Soccer and USL. Likely, as the later rounds arrive, U.S. Soccer will lean on their rights deal with Turner Sports for much of the tournament’s coverage.

For the first time since 2008, the U.S. Open Cup will be formatted so that the first round is made up exclusively of matchups between professional teams against amateur clubs. Expanding that concept further, all MLS clubs will be forced to match up against lower-league opponents until that is no longer possible, based on other scheduling restrictions.

The idea is to give lower-league sides matches with greater visibility, while enjoying the chance to generate upsets.

Who is playing in the 2024 US Open Cup?

A total of 96 teams will enter the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, but the field will look significantly different from recent years. 

Not all Major League Soccer teams will participate, leaving the door wide open for a lower-league champion, something which hasn’t happened since the now-defunct Rochester Rhinos won in 1999.

An MLS participant has triumphed in every single edition since that time — a 22-year run, not including the two cancelled editions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sacramento Republic, who will participate this year, are the last lower-league side to reach the final, when they fell to Orlando City in 2022.

In fact, only four clubs participating in this year’s competition have ever won the tournament: defending champions Houston Dynamo, plus other MLS sides Seattle Sounders, Atlanta United and FC Dallas.

2024 US Open Cup participating teams

Entering in Round of 32

Only nine MLS first-team clubs will enter the U.S. Open Cup in 2024 — the defending champions Houston Dynamo plus the top eight clubs from the 2023 standings who are not participating in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

All the MLS clubs entered are automatic qualifiers into the Round of 32, while the top seven sides in the 2023 USL Championship (Tier 2) regular season standings will also enter at this stage, along with USL Championship playoff winners, Phoenix Rising.

Entering in Third Round

Before that, the third round will see the remaining 16 USL Championship (Tier 2) clubs start the competition. This includes the two expansion sides, North Carolina FC and Rhode Island FC.

Entering in First Round

All other clubs will enter the US Open Cup in the first round. This early field is headlined by nine affiliated MLS NEXT Pro clubs, set to replace some MLS senior squads who were not selected to participate.

Which MLS clubs will not play in the 2024 US Open Cup?

With only eight senior MLS sides participating in the U.S. Open Cup in 2024, that leaves the 21 clubs left out.

Six of those teams were excused due to continental participation — with MLS looking to ease the schedule of those in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Only Houston Dynamo, who were afforded the opportunity to defend their 2023 U.S. Open Cup title, will participate in both tournaments.

The bottom 15 MLS clubs from the 2023 standings were not selected to participate. Inter Miami missed out on both counts — finishing 27th in the 2023 aggregate standings and also participating in the CONCACAF Champions Cup via winning the Leagues Cup.