2025 USL Cup


The 2025 USL Cup was the second edition of the USL Cup. The competition was open to all clubs in USL Championship and USL League One.
Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC, the winner of the 2024 USL Cup, had their franchise agreement with the United Soccer League terminated and were unable to defend their title. Hartford Athletic won its first trophy in the final, defeating Sacramento Republic FC.

Format

The 2025 edition of the USL Cup was a professional soccer tournament held between teams in USL Championship and USL League One. Teams were split into six groups of six to seven teams; each team played two teams in their group at home, and two others away. The teams winning their group, along with the two teams with the most points among those that did not win their group, will moved to a single-elimination knockout round.

Schedule

The 2025 USL Cup ran concurrently with the 2025 USL Championship season and the 2025 USL League One season. The tournament began roughly two months into the league seasons and end shortly before the end of the league seasons and start of the league playoffs.
The groups for the 2025 USL Cup were announced on December 12, 2024, and the schedule was released on December 19, 2024.

Access

All 24 clubs in USL Championship and 14 clubs in USL League One entered the 2025 USL Cup in the group stage.
RoundEntrantsNumber of gamesDate
Group stage
24 clubs from USL Championship
14 clubs from USL League One		76 –
Quarterfinals
6 group stage winners
2 wild cards		4August 20, 2025
Semifinals
4 winners from quarterfinals2September 10, 2025
Final
2 winners from semifinals1October 4, 2025

Location map

Group stage

The group stage was be played from April 25 to July 26. Teams were divided into six regional groups of six or seven teams. Teams played two teams in their group at home and two other teams away.
If a team won in regulation, they received three points in the standings, while the loser received zero. If the game was tied at the end of regulation, a penalty kick shootout occurred; the winner received two points and the loser will received one.
The top team in each group reached a single-elimination knockout stage. Of the remaining teams, the two teams with the most points also reached the knockout stage, with most goals scored being used as first tiebreaker.

Group 1

Matches

Group 2

Matches

Group 3

Matches

Group 4

Matches

Group 5

Matches

Group 6

Matches

Wild card

Tiebreakers

The ranking of teams for the knockout stage wild card is determined as follows:
  1. Total points obtained;
  2. Number of goals scored in group play;
  3. Points obtained in matches played between the teams in question;
  4. Total regulation wins in group play;
  5. Fewest goals against in group play;
  6. Fewest number of disciplinary points;
  7. Coin toss.

    Ranking of non-group leading teams

''Only teams second in points in their group are included in this table.''

Knockout stage

Quarterfinals

Semi-finals

Final

Statistics

As of.
All statistics include both the group stage and knockout stage.

Top goalscorers

''Goals scored in penalty shoot-outs are not counted towards players' goal counts or to match goal counts.''

Most clean sheets

''Goals allowed in penalty shoot-outs are not counted towards players' clean sheet totals.''

Average home attendances

Ranked from highest to lowest average attendance.
TeamLeague
New Mexico UnitedUSLC220,24210,7479,49510,121
Sacramento Republic FCUSLC329,90411,5698,89810,968
Louisville City FCUSLC215,9248,9227,0027,962
Indy ElevenUSLC322,1369,0654,0437,379
Colorado Springs Switchbacks FCUSLC212,8297,3295,5006,415
Detroit City FCUSLC212,6706,9545,7166,335
Rhode Island FCUSLC423,3467,5023,7035,837
Lexington SCUSLC211,6698,2523,4175,835
San Antonio FCUSLC317,0646,1834,7895,688
Portland Hearts of PineUSL1211,3025,6515,6515,651
El Paso Locomotive FCUSLC211,2615,8455,4165,631
Phoenix Rising FCUSLC210,6376,5154,1225,319
Oakland Roots SCUSLC210,3755,4184,9575,188
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SCUSLC29,8265,0744,7524,913
One Knoxville SCUSL129,3036,3782,9254,652
Birmingham Legion FCUSLC29,1354,6264,5094,568
Tampa Bay RowdiesUSLC28,8925,1033,7894,446
Forward Madison FCUSL128,4714,7233,7484,236
AV Alta FCUSL128,3594,4083,9514,180
Richmond KickersUSL128,0434,7533,2904,022
Orange County SCUSLC27,6784,3283,3503,839
FC NaplesUSL127,6444,1723,4723,822
FC TulsaUSLC27,5234,4673,0563,762
Hartford AthleticUSLC311,1495,2712,0003,716
Charleston BatteryUSLC27,3003,7013,5993,650
Spokane Velocity FCUSL125,2733,0682,2052,637
Monterey Bay FCUSLC25,0203,0062,0142,510
Westchester SCUSL124,4362,7831,6532,218
Las Vegas Lights FCUSLC24,3922,5971,7952,196
Chattanooga Red Wolves SCUSL124,1052,0542,0512,053
North Carolina FCUSLC24,0302,4281,6022,015
Union OmahaUSL124,0252,1761,8492,013
Greenville Triumph SCUSL123,3502,0851,2651,675
Loudoun United FCUSLC33,6691,5831,0291,223
Charlotte IndependenceUSL122,4371,8096281,219
Miami FCUSLC22,2321,2081,0241,116
Tormenta FCUSL122,0221,1468761,011
Texoma FCUSL121,9921,045947996
Totalcombined83359,66511,5696284,333

Average home attendances by league