Major League Soccer announced the qualification criteria for MLS clubs in official North American cup competitions for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, as well as the 2025 participants. The four tournaments—Concacaf Champions Cup, Leagues Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and Canadian Championship—offer valuable chances for clubs to compete for trophies beyond MLS play.Along with the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, FC Cincinnati will also take part in Leagues Cup 2025, continuing their participation in the annual MLS & Liga MX tournament for the third consecutive year.

After missing out on participation in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup last season due to MLS qualification rules, FC Cincinnati will now enter their MLS NEXT Pro team, FC Cincinnati 2, into the competition. This continues the club’s proud history in the nation’s oldest cup tournament.

In 2017, in their second season, then-USL team FC Cincinnati made a remarkable run to the Open Cup semifinals, defeating multiple MLS teams, including rival Columbus Crew, to reach the penultimate stage.

FC Cincinnati Season Ticket Members will have the first Leagues Cup 2025 match included in their 2025 Season Ticket package. Additional ticket information for future Leagues Cup 2025 matches, along with FC Cincinnati 2’s U.S. Open Cup games, will be shared later.

According to MLS, the qualification framework for MLS clubs in North American cup competitions takes into account club performance, player workload, and ensures that each MLS team competes in at least one, but no more than two, concurrent cup competitions during the MLS season.T

his qualification structure will apply to the 2025 and 2026 MLS seasons, aligning with the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. It will be reassessed in 2027 as competition landscapes continue to change.