NYCFC will play in a slightly different U.S. Open Cup in 2026 | OneFootball

On Thursday, New York City FC was announced to be one of the 16 Major League Soccer teams that will participate in the 2026 U.S. Open Cup. Like last year, teams not in the CONCACAF Champions Cup or Leagues Cup will play in the country's oldest soccer tournament. Then, the top-ranked teams based on the Supporters' Shield standings that are also in the Leagues Cup but not the Champions Cup will play in the U.S. Open Cup.

Hence, NYCFC will be one of those 16 teams, since they are one of the top remaining sides that will not play in the Champions Cup but qualify for the Leagues Cup. Like last season, they will enter the Round of 32. Hopefully, unlike last year, the Pigeons will move on beyond that round.

But what else should NYCFC fans know about the 2026 U.S. Open Cup?

NYCFC will be in the changed U.S. Open Cup

To begin, there is one less round due to the FIFA World Cup. As such, the professional teams in the tournament went from 64 to 48. This did not impact the number of MLS teams, but it meant that only the top team from a club can participate. In other words, MLS Next Pro sides cannot play in this edition of the tournament.

The good news is that NYCFC and other teams will not be limited to the number of players registered for the U.S. Open Cup. This can help with congestion and enable rotation for every squad. Moreover, the draws will be based on location, as is always the case. This means that teams will not have to travel far in the first few rounds.

Meanwhile, the Queens team will not know where they will play until after the second round. The Boys in Blue do know that they will play their opening match on April 14 or April 15. Then, if they move on, the Round of 16 will occur on April 28 or April 29, the quarterfinals will take place on May 19 or May 20, the semifinals will be on September 14 or September 15, and the finals will be on October 21.

In relation to the MLS schedule, no matches will be played during the World Cup break, which is a good thing. The biggest adjustment to NYCFC's schedule would be that, if they make the Round of 16, then they would play seven games in April compared to five.

In the end, it is great that NYCFC is playing in the U.S. Open Cup again. It would be better if every MLS side played, but alas, that might not happen in the near future.