 Previous logo when it was sponsored byJägermeister | |
| Organizer(s) | United Soccer League |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2024; 2 years ago (2024) |
| Region | United States |
| Teams | 43 (2026) |
| Current champion | Hartford Athletic |
| Most championships | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC,Hartford Athletic (1 title) |
| Broadcaster(s) | ESPN+,CBS |
| Motto | A Shot at Glory |
| Website | uslleagueone.com |
 2026 USL Cup | |
TheUSL Cup is an annualsoccer competition in men's domesticAmerican soccer.[1] The USL Cup is currently known as thePrinx Tires USL Cup after its title sponsor, Prinx Tires. The competition is open to all clubs inUSL Championship andUSL League One.[2]
The first USL Cup featured teams exclusively inUSL League One; however,USL already intended to expand the cup beyond just that league.[1]Richmond Kickers chairmanRob Ukrop stated at the time of the announcement that another league had been invited to participate, but wasn't “ready to jump in yet.”[3]
The format of the2024 USL Cup allowed a balanced league schedule for the2024 USL League One season, with each team playing each other twice and also preserving the length of the season. Previous to the creation of the USL Cup, the league had regularly played an unbalanced schedule of 28–32 games, often playing other teams in the league three times.[3] The introduction ofUSL Championship sides into the competition in 2025 re-introduced an unbalanced schedule to USL League One.
In an interview,USL Championship president Jeremy Alumbaugh and USL League One president Lee O'Neill stated that both USL Championship andUSL League Two were being considered to enter the competition in future years. However, the USL Cup was not considered to be a replacement for theU.S. Open Cup, andUSL teams would continue competing in future U.S. Open Cup tournaments.[4]
O'Neill emphasized in USL's announcement of the tournament that the creation of the USL Cup would "open up more possibilities for the competitive structure going forward." The announcement also hinted that the tournament could be a precursor to apromotion and relegation system within the professional levels of the USL.[1]
The 2025 edition of the USL Cup saw the addition of USL Championship clubs to the competition, keeping a similar format to the previous year's edition.[2]
If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a penalty kick shootout will occur. A regulation win is worth three points, a shootout win worth two, and a shootout loss worth one.[1]
The teams participating in the competition are split into groups of six to seven teams, with each team facing two teams in their group at home, and two others away. The top team from each group advances to a knockout round, in addition to the two teams with the most points that do not win their group.[2][5]
The first edition of the competition split the teams into three groups of four teams. Teams played the other three teams in their group twice, home and away. They played an additional two games against two teams in other groups, one at home and one away. The top team from each group, plus the team with the most goals scored that did not win their group, advanced to the knockout round.[1]
Jägermeister was announced as the title sponsor for the USL Cup on March 18, 2024, three months after the initial announcement of the tournament and one month before the competition's kickoff.[6] The announcement of Jägermeister's sponsorship stated that it was a multi-year agreement.[7]USL Championship president Paul McDonough confirmed in an interview withSports Business Journal that the agreement with Jägermeister was for two seasons, running through the 2025 edition of the competition.[8] A lawsuit by ownership ofNorthern Colorado Hailstorm FC placed the cost of the sponsorship at $300,000 per year.[9]
On December 16, 2025, USL announced that the USL Cup would be sponsored by Prinx Tires for its 2026 edition.[10]
In February 2024,USL announced thatESPN+ would be the exclusive broadcaster for all matches in the2024 USL Cup.[11] For the2025 USL Cup, games will continue to be broadcast by ESPN+, with the possibility of also being aired by variousCBS networks.[8]
| † | Match decided via apenalty shootout after regulation |
| (#) | Number of trophies won by club |
| * | 2024 edition did not include USL Championship clubs |
| Season | Winners | Score | Runners–up | Venue | Location | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024* | Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC (1) | 1–1 †[a] | Forward Madison FC | 4Rivers Equipment Stadium | Windsor, Colorado | 3,550 |
| 2025 | Hartford Athletic (1) | 1–0 | Sacramento Republic FC | Heart Health Park | Sacramento, California | 11,569 |
| Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartford Athletic | 1 | 2025 | 2025 | 0 | — | 1 |
| Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC | 1 | 2024 | 2024 | 0 | — | 1 |
| Forward Madison FC | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2024 | 1 |
| Sacramento Republic FC | 0 | — | — | 1 | 2025 | 1 |
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