MLS has established new participation guidelines for its clubs in North American cup competitions for 2025 and 2026. Notably, there will be a significant increase in MLS teams participating in the U.S. Open Cup, rising from eight to 16, while participation in the Leagues Cup will decrease as only 18 teams will join from MLS, matching Liga MX's club numbers. The framework aims to balance performance-based opportunities with player workload, enabling a maximum of two concurrent competitions for each club.
Through the new guidelines, the number of MLS first teams will double in the U.S. Open Cup from eight in 2024 to 16 in 2025, expanding the footprint for the league's top sides after last year's controversial decision to trim that number to 8.
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.
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