Sporting Kansas City will begin the club’s participation in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the Round of 32 on the road at USL Championship opponents Colorado Springs Switchbacks on Tuesday, April 14.
U.S. Soccer conducted the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 and Round of 16 draw today, determining the match-ups and hosts for the next two rounds of the 111th edition of the competition.
The winner between Sporting Kansas City and Colorado Springs Switchbacks will play the winner between the Colorado Rapids (MLS) and Union Omaha (USL League One) in the Round of 16 with hosting priority for the Round of 16 fixture assigned to Sporting Kansas City (1st), Colorado Rapids (2nd) and Union Omaha (3rd).
Sporting Kansas City is one of 16 Major League Soccer teams entering a field that features 16 teams from leagues in the lower divisions of American soccer. Broadcasts of all matches will be streamed live on Paramount+ during the Round of 32 as CBS Sports serves as the multi-media rights holder for the competition.
2026 U.S. Open Cup Round of 32
MLS (first division): 16 teams
USL Championship (second division): 9 teams
USL League One (third division): 6 teams
MLS NEXT Pro (third division): 1 team
The 2026 U.S. Open Cup will crown a champion in October after seven rounds of single-elimination play featuring a total of 80 teams. The tournament features $1 million in prize money and the winner will claim the Dewar Challenge Trophy along with a berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
2026 U.S. Open Cup Schedule
Round of 32: April 14-15
Round of 16: April 28-29
Quarterfinals: May 19-20
Semifinals: Sept. 15-16
Final: Oct. 21
Colorado Springs and Sporting Kansas City will meet for the first time. After winning the USL Championship in 2024, the Switchbacks reached the Round of 32 with a 3-0 victory Azteca FC (United Premier Soccer League) in the First Round before prevailing in penalties against Spokane Velocity FC (USL League One) in the Second Round.
The U.S. Open Cup, named in honor of former Kansas City Wizards owner Lamar Hunt, has crowned a champion since 1914 and Sporting KC (2004, 2012, 2015, 2017) are four-time winners of U.S. Soccer’s national club championship, tied for most among MLS teams. Sporting Kansas City most recently participated in the U.S. Open Cup in 2024, finishing runners-up to LAFC after falling 3-1 in extra time at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
