Vermont Green FC Qualifies for 2026 US Open Cup

Vermont Green Football Club has qualified for the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The club qualified for the tournament as USL League Two’s National Champion. Eight other League Two clubs earned qualification as division winners. The Green will enter the tournament in the first round, which has historically been played in March.

Beginning in 1913, the U.S. Open Cup is the oldest soccer competition in the United States. The tournament is a single elimination contest, and includes clubs from every level of the American soccer pyramid—from professional clubs in Major League Soccer (MLS) and USL Championship, all the way down to amateur and semi-professional teams. 2026 will be the 111th edition of the tournament.

“Coming off of our League Two National Championship, we’re honored to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup for the second time in our short history.” said Vermont Green FC Sporting Director Adam Pfeifer. “We pride ourselves in our ability to compete at a high level, especially on a national stage, so qualifying for the Open Cup is a top priority every season. We’re eager to get back out there and prove ourselves against professional clubs.”

Vermont Green FC last competed in the U.S. Open Cup in 2024, when the Vermonters hosted two matches against professional clubs. The Green played the first ever U.S. Open Cup match on Vermont soil on March 19, 2024 and defeated professional club Lexington SC (then of USL League One) by a score of 4-3. Zach Barrett, Nick Lockermann, Jacob Labovitz, and Jake Ashford were the goalscorers. Two weeks later, the Green narrowly fell to Carolina Core FC (of MLS Next Pro) 2-1 in front of a sold out and snowy Virtue Field.

Vermont Green FC’s first round matchup will be announced by U.S. Soccer in early 2026.

ABOUT THE LAMAR HUNT U.S. OPEN CUP

Currently in its 110th edition, the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has crowned U.S. Soccer’s national champion since 1914. The history-filled tournament is conducted on a single-game-knockout basis and is open to professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. In 1999, the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in the U.S. was renamed to honor American soccer pioneer Lamar Hunt. The 2025 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn a berth in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup and have its name engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy – one of the oldest nationally contested trophies in American team sports – now on permanent display at the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Frisco, Texas. The 2025 tournament features a total purse worth $1 million that includes a $600,000 award for the champion. Los Angeles Football Club of MLS is the defending Champion. The 109th edition of the tournament concluded on September 25, 2024, with LAFC beating four-time Champions Sporting Kansas City 3-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles to become Open Cup Champions for the first time.