MLS Announces New Guidelines for North American Cup Competitions
Hey soccer fans, get ready for some exciting changes in the world of Major League Soccer (MLS)! The league has just announced the guidelines for their 30 teams that will participate in four North American cup competitions in 2025 and 2026. This announcement brings a mix of increased involvement in the U.S. Open Cup and a reduced number of teams in the joint Leagues Cup with Liga MX.
According to a statement from the league, “The framework for MLS club participation in North American cup competitions rewards club performance, manages player workload, and ensures that every MLS club has the opportunity to compete in at least one, but no more than two, North American competitions that run concurrently with the MLS league season.” This statement also outlined participation in the Concacaf Champions Cup and Canadian Championship.
So, what does this mean for the Leagues Cup? Unlike 2024, when every MLS side took part in the competition against Liga MX, only 18 teams will be selected this time around. This matches the total number of clubs from the Mexican top flight. The competition is set to be played from July 29 to August 31, and MLS participants will be decided by the top nine teams from each conference from the previous season.
Interestingly, the Vancouver Whitecaps, who finished eighth in the Western Conference last season, will not take part in the Leagues Cup. Why? Because they are already involved in a maximum of two cup competitions through the Concacaf Champions Cup and Canadian Championship. Instead, the expansion side San Diego FC will take their spot in the 2025 Leagues Cup. This move, according to the league, “allows for all 30 MLS teams to compete in at least one, but not more than two, North American cup competitions.”
Now, let’s talk about the U.S. Open Cup. The number of MLS first teams will double from eight in 2024 to 16 in 2025. This expansion is a significant step for the league’s top sides, especially after last year’s controversial decision to trim that number to eight. Any U.S.-based MLS team that didn’t qualify for the Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup will take part in the U.S. Open Cup.
The final seven of the 16 MLS first teams were selected through standings in 2024’s Supporters’ Shield table, excluding those who are going to take part in the Concacaf Champions Cup. In the previous U.S. Open Cup, MLS made headlines after initially attempting to only send affiliated third division teams from MLS Next Pro to the oldest soccer tournament in the country, then later agreeing to a limited participation with eight senior teams. One year later, MLS’ 16 senior teams will be joined by 10 MLS Next Pro teams for the U.S. Open Cup in 2025.
As for the Concacaf Champions Cup, which will feature 10 MLS teams in the tournament running from February 4 to June 1, the criteria for qualifying were previously set by Concacaf. In the Canadian Championship, which will run from April to October, all three Canadian MLS teams are automatically invited.
Looking ahead, qualification parameters for involvement in the four North American cup competitions in 2027 and beyond will be reviewed at a later date. Outside of the Concacaf region, MLS’ Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami will also take part in the Club World Cup from June 14 to July 13. The regular season will be paused from June 15 to 24, and if Miami or Seattle were to advance to further stages in the Club World Cup, scheduling adjustments in MLS would be considered for either team.
Full List of MLS Clubs’ North American Cup Participation for 2025:
- Eastern Conference
- Atlanta United FC: Leagues Cup
- Charlotte FC: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- Chicago Fire FC: U.S. Open Cup
- FC Cincinnati: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- Columbus Crew: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- D.C. United: U.S. Open Cup
- Inter Miami CF: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- CF Montréal: Leagues Cup, Canadian Championship
- New York City FC: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- New York Red Bulls: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- Nashville SC: U.S. Open Cup
- New England Revolution: U.S. Open Cup
- Orlando City SC: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- Philadelphia Union: U.S. Open Cup
- Toronto FC: Canadian Championship
- Western Conference
- Austin FC: U.S. Open Cup
- Colorado Rapids: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- FC Dallas: U.S. Open Cup
- Houston Dynamo FC: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- LA Galaxy: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- LAFC: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- Minnesota United FC: Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup
- Portland Timbers: U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup
- Real Salt Lake: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- San Jose Earthquakes: U.S. Open Cup
- San Diego FC: Leagues Cup
- Seattle Sounders FC: Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup
- Sporting Kansas City: Concacaf Champions Cup
- St. Louis City SC: U.S. Open Cup
- Vancouver Whitecaps: Concacaf Champions Cup, Canadian Championship
MLS Next Pro teams participating in the 2025 U.S. Open Cup:
- Carolina Core FC (Independent)
- Chattanooga FC (Independent)
- FC Cincinnati 2 (FC Cincinnati)
- Columbus Crew 2 (Columbus Crew)
- Inter Miami CF II (Inter Miami CF)
- LAFC2 (LAFC)
- Real Monarchs (Real Salt Lake)
- Sporting KC II (Sporting Kansas City)
- Tacoma Defiance (Seattle Sounders FC)
- Ventura County FC (LA Galaxy)
Originally Written by: Cesar Hernandez
