# 2026 USL Cup
The 2026 [USL Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/usl-cup), played as the Prinx Tires USL Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the third edition of the United Soccer Leagues' interleague cup competition, a World Cup-style knockout tournament featuring all 43 teams across the [USL Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/usl-championship) and [USL League One](https://www.edgepedia.org/usl-league-one).[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup) Louisville City FC won the title by defeating the defending champion Hartford Athletic 1-0 in the final on October 4, 2026, claiming the USL Cup for the first time.[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Edition | Third edition of the USL's interleague cup, featuring all 43 teams across the USL Championship and League One[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup) |
| Champion | Louisville City FC, winning the USL Cup for the first time[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) |
| Final | October 4, 2026, Trinity Health Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut; sellout crowd of 6,179[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) |
| Result | Louisville City FC 1-0 Hartford Athletic; Aiden McFadden scored in the 12th minute[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) |
| Runner-up | Hartford Athletic, the defending titleholder, which hosted the final after a hosting draw[3](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428) |
| Key dates | Quarterfinals August 12; Semifinals September 9; final on the weekend of October 2-4, 2026[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup) |
## Competition structure
The tournament brought together every team from the USL's two professional leagues, the USL Championship and USL League One, in a World Cup-style format with group and knockout stages.[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup) The knockout rounds ran through the late summer: the Quarterfinals were held on Wednesday, August 12, the Semifinals on Wednesday, September 9, and the final on the weekend of October 2-4, 2026.[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup)
## Road to the final
**Hartford Athletic.** Hartford entered the tournament as the defending titleholder and reached the final by beating Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the September 9 semifinals. When the hosting rights were decided by draw, Hartford earned the right to host the final and the chance to claim the title in a second consecutive edition of the tournament.[3](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428)
**Louisville City FC.** Louisville City, a club with two USL Championship titles and two Players' Shields to its name, advanced past [San Antonio FC](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-antonio-fc) in a penalty shootout to reach the final, where it aimed to complete its collection of trophies in the league's modern era with the one cup it had not yet won.[3](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428) • [2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877)
## The final
The final was played on Sunday, October 4 at 3 p.m. ET at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, broadcast on ESPN2 before a sellout crowd of 6,179.[3](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428) • [2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) Louisville took the lead in the 12th minute when Taylor Davila's corner kick from the right was flicked home at the far post by a header from Aiden McFadden, the side's first goal of the knockout stage of the competition.[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877)
Hartford came close to leveling six minutes later, when Emmanuel Samadia's effort clipped Louisville defender Kevon Lambert and went just wide of the left post, and Adrián Diz Pe had a long-range effort flash just wide shortly before halftime.[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) Louisville goalkeeper Ryan Shewe posted one save and four punched clearances in the shutout, and the match ended 1-0, giving [Louisville City FC](https://www.edgepedia.org/louisville-city-fc) its first USL Cup crown.[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877)
## Aftermath
The title completed Louisville City's trophy collection in the USL's modern era, adding the cup to its two USL Championship titles and two Players' Shields.[2](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877) • [3](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428) When the USL announced the Team of the [Tournament](https://www.edgepedia.org/tournament) on October 14, 2026, title-winning Louisville City and runner-up Hartford Athletic received four selections apiece.[1](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup)
## References
1. [Prinx Tires USL Cup, USLChampionship.com](https://www.uslchampionship.com/prinx-tires-usl-cup)
2. [Louisville City FC Claims Prinx Tires USL Cup Final with Victory against Hartford Athletic, USLChampionship.com](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1367877)
3. [Hartford Athletic to Host Louisville City FC in 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup Final, USLChampionship.com](https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1366428)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › North American professional and semi-professional soccer seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 19, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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