St Louis City SC made history by defeating Columbus Crew 5–3 in a penalty shootout after 120 goalless minutes to win the 2026 U.S. Open Cup. It was the first trophy in the club’s four-year history and the city of St Louis’s first U.S. Open Cup title since 1988.
St Louis CITY SC held their nerve to claim a dramatic US Open Cup final victory on Columbus Crew’s home turf, overcoming sustained pressure from the hosts before delivering a flawless performance in the penalty shootout.
Columbus dominated much of the match, creating better chances in both halves. Anass Zaroury and Brais Méndez helped orchestrate the crew’s attacking play, while Mohamed Farsi also threatened from a distance. However, St Louis goalkeeper Roman Bürki and a determined defensive line repeatedly denied the hosts.
The game’s pivotal moment arrived in the 69th minute when St Louis City goalkeeper Bürki made a crucial close-range save to keep Columbus out but suffered an injury in the process. After a lengthy stoppage, he was replaced in the 78th minute by backup goalkeeper Ben Lundt.
Lundt’s introduction proved decisive as he helped St Louis survive the remainder of regulation time and 30 minutes of extra time as the contest finished with a goalless stalemate, thereby setting up a penalty shootout to decide who wins the trophy.
St Louis City goalkeeper Ben Lundt saved the first penalty from Santiago Rodriguez as his teammates converted all five penalties to win 5-3 on the night to be crowned as champions.
Written by: Agboyibor Hope Francis
