COLUMBUS – The Columbus Crew begin the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in the historic competition’s Round of 32 with an away match against USL League One's Richmond Kickers at City Stadium in Richmond, Va., on Wednesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m. ET. The match will be available to stream live on Paramount+.
With a victory, the Black & Gold would travel to face the winner of the D.C. United-One Knoxville SC matchup for the Round of 16 on April 28-29.
The Crew hold a 22-13-14 all-time record in the U.S. Open Cup, dating back to 1998. The Black & Gold won their first trophy in Club history on Oct. 24, 2002, defeating the LA Galaxy 1-0 at Historic Crew Stadium to claim the championship. In 2025, Crew 2 reached the Third Round after earning a 4-1 victory over NY Renegades in the First Round on March 19 and a 3-0 win against Lexington SC on April 1.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is U.S. Soccer's club championship and has crowned a Champion annually since 1914 (with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19). The prestigious tournament is conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. It is the longest running national soccer competition in the United States and the world's third-longest continuously run national cup tournament. It is the only tournament in USA-based team sports where amateurs have the chance to play professionals in direct competition.
The 2026 U.S. Open Cup winner will earn $600,000 in prize money, a berth in the 2027 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 runner-up will earn $250,000, while the team that advances the furthest from each lower division will take home a $50,000 cash prize.
