U.S. Soccer announced today that Inter Miami CF II has qualified to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2025. The Club’s MLS NEXT Pro affiliate side is now set for its first participation in the historic competition.
Tickets
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MLS Announces Qualification Criteria for North American Cup Competitions
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 qualification structure will be in place for the 2025 and 2026 MLS seasons, providing a guideline for MLS’ qualification parameters during this exceptional moment -- as the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 and FIFA World Cup 2026 are played in North America. This process will be re-evaluated for 2027 as the landscape of competitions continues to evolve. The qualification for each competition were determined as follows:
Concacaf Champions Cup: Criteria set by Concacaf.
Leagues Cup: Eighteen total MLS clubs qualify to match the 18 participating LIGA MX clubs. The top nine teams in each MLS Conference from the prior season qualify.
Modification for 2025
Due to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s participation in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup and defending their Canadian Championship title, Vancouver will not participate in Leagues Cup 2025.
Instead, expansion club San Diego FC will join the Leagues Cup 2025 tournament. The adjustment allows for all 30 MLS teams to compete in at least one, but not more than two, North American cup competitions.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: Aligned with the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup format, the number of MLS first teams participating in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has increased from 8 to 16. In addition, 10 MLS NEXT Pro teams will compete in the tournament.
The 16 participating MLS teams are determined as follows:
- Only U.S.-based clubs are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup.
- MLS teams not competing in either Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup automatically qualify for the U.S. Open Cup. For the 2025 tournament, this accounts for nine of the 16 MLS teams.
- The remaining teams are determined by Supporters’ Shield standings, excluding teams competing in Concacaf Champions Cup. For the 2025 tournament, this accounts for seven of the 16 MLS teams.
Canadian Championship: All three Canadian-based MLS clubs compete.
Inter Miami CF II in the U.S. Open Cup
The competition format places lower-division professional and amateur teams at the forefront of early rounds, battling for a chance to advance to the Round of 32, where they could meet MLS first teams. Inter Miami II will enter the 2025 edition of the competition in the First Round on March 18-20.
The schedule, opponent and additional information on the 2025 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup will be announced at a later time.
What is the U.S. Open Cup?
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest national soccer competition in the United States and the third-oldest in the world. Established in 1913-14 as the National Challenge Cup, it predates major American sports leagues like the NHL (1917), NFL (1920), and NBA (1946).
The annual tournament is open to professional and amateur clubs across the U.S., creating an exciting platform for lower-division teams to face top-tier opponents. This 110th edition of the U.S. Open Cup includes a new format, expanding the number of MLS first teams from 8 to 16 and welcoming 10 MLS NEXT Pro teams into the competition. Inter Miami CF II is proudly joining this prestigious tournament for the first time.
