From the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup to the World | OneFootball

With the most expansive FIFA World Cup upon us, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup representation has reached an all-time high. Seventy-eight players named to FIFA World Cup 2026™ rosters have either made an appearance or been named to a matchday squad in the U.S. Open Cup. Those 78 players represent 20 national teams and all six confederations.

THE BEST OF THE BEST

The most prominent names on the list of Open Cup alumni named to FIFA World Cup roster mainly hail from CONMEBOL and Concacaf. From South America, Argentine superstar and defending champion Lionel Messi is set to make his first World Cup appearance since making his Open Cup debut with Inter Miami CF in 2023.

Colombia veteran James Rodríguez returns to Los Cafeteros for his third FIFA World Cup and first since 2018.The 34-year-old midfielder enjoyed a quick stint with Minnesota United FC earlier this year, making two Open Cup appearances and six league appearances during his time in the Twin Cities.

Minnesota United FC midfielder and Colombia international James Rodríguez in the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 match against the San Jose Earthquakes on April 28, 2026 at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif. (Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Atlanta United FC returnee and Paraguay winger Miguel Almirón is set for his FIFA World Cup debut, as La Albirroja face the USMNT in GroupD action on Friday. The former MLS Cup champion has made three Open Cup appearances, first against the Charleston Battery in 2017 and most recently against Chattanooga FC in 2026.

Additionally, two former MLS stars will hope to make an impact in the FIFA World Cup, as Argentina’s Thiago Almada and Paraguay’s Diego Gómez are set for action in the tournament. Almada made just two appearances in the Open Cup with Atlanta United back in 2022, while Gómez also made a pair of appearances in the tournament, helping Inter Miami reach the Final in 2023.

THE TITLE-WINNERS

Five players and one head coach at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ have won the U.S. Open Cup. Two members of the USMNT’s squad have won the Open Cup: Miles Robinson with Atlanta United in 2019 and Alex Freeman with Orlando City SC in 2022. Panama’s Adalberto Carrasquilla lifted the trophy with Houston Dynamo FC in 2023, and two members of Nashville SC’s victorious 2025 squad are set for FIFA World Cup debuts: Canada’s Jacob Shaffelburg and Iraq’s Ahmed Qasem.

Additionally, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch joined an elite club during his playing days in MLS by winning the Open Cup four times—first with D.C. United (1996) and then with Chicago Fire FC (1998, 2000, 2003).

Chicago Fire FC midfielder Jesse Marsch during the U.S. Open Cup Semifinal on Sept. 23, 2003 at Cardinal Stadium in Naperville, Ill. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/MLS via Getty Images)

THE STARS OF TOMORROW

The expansion of the FIFA World Cup coupled with the continued evolution of lower-division leagues in the United States has opened the door for both current and former players from lower-division clubs to step onto the sport’s biggest stage. Twelve of the 78 Open Cup alumni participated in the Open Cup with a lower-division side.

The most obvious examples come from the USMNT. In the 2015 Open Cup alone, goalkeeper Matt Turner (Jersey Express, USL League Two) faced future USMNT teammates Haji Wright (New York Cosmos, NASL) and Tyler Adams (Red Bull New York II, USL Championship).

Aside from the USMNT connections, Colombia midfielder Juan Portilla made two appearances with then NPSL-side Jacksonville Armada FC in 2018, Haiti forward Frantzdy Pierrot made three appearances with USL League Two’s Reading United AC in 2017 in which he scored back-to-back winning goals before earning his move to Europe, and Canada defender Joel Waterman helped then-USL League Two side Kitsap Pumas advance to the Round of 32 and claim the Open Division prize in 2016.

Lastly, a collection of recent USL Championship talents will be on display during the FIFA World Cup. Curaçao’s Jearl Margaritha made his Open Cup debut with Phoenix Rising FC in 2025, and New Zealand’s Jesse Randall made a pair of appearances with the Charleston Battery in the 2023 Open Cup before moving on to the A-League’s Auckland FC. Recent USL Championship title-winners Carlos Harvey (Phoenix Rising FC) and Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC) are also set for their FIFA World Cup debuts for Panama and Haiti, respectively, after combining for over 20 Open Cup appearances over the past decade.

Former Phoenix Rising FC and current Curaçao forward Jearl Margaritha (Image: Phoenix Rising FC)

U.S. Open Cup Alumni in the FIFA World Cup 2026™

* - Unused substitute

^ - Champion