What is the Leagues Cup?

30/06/23 710

The Leagues Cup is a competition between Major League Soccer and Liga MX’s clubs. The two North American leagues have worked together over the years, putting on tournaments featuring their clubs playing against each other.

In 2019, the Leagues Cup debuted as a competition between teams from MLS and Liga MX. The tournament took over for the short-lived SuperLiga, which featured teams from both competitions from 2007 to 2010.

With soccer growing in popularity in the United States and a strong Mexican-American population, MLS wanted to further its relationship with Liga MX.

How does the Leagues Cup work?

The 2023 edition of the Leagues Cup will be different from previous versions. It will feature all 29 MLS teams and all 18 Liga MX clubs. There will be a total of 49 teams competing in this season’s competition.

The tournament will kick off in July, with MLS’s regular season taking a month-long break. Teams will compete in a World Cup-style competition. There will be a group stage and knockout rounds. All 77 matches will be played in the US and Canada.

The tournament will see 47 teams compete in the group stage as reigning MLS Cup champions, Los Angeles FC, and Liga MX team Pachuca will skip the first phase.

The remaining teams in the group stage will play a minimum of two games. The top two teams in the group stage will advance to the knockout rounds. The knockout stage is single elimination. There will be a final and third-place playoff.

There will be no draws in League Cup matches. The tournament aims to bring excitement to fans. If a match is tied at 90 minutes, both teams will earn a point. However, the teams will then go to penalties, with the shootout winner gaining a second point.

Who are the past Leagues Cup winners?

There have been just two previous Leagues Cup tournaments. The 2020 edition of the tournament was cancelled due to COVID-19.

In 2019, the first year of the competition, Mexico’s Cruz Azul defeated rival UNAL 2-1 to lift the first Leagues Cup trophy. After a hiatus the following year, the 2021 edition saw Club Leon defeat Seattle Sounders 3-2 in the final.

MLS is still looking for its first-ever Leagues Cup win. The league has been around since 1996, but in the CONCACAF region, continues to underachieve. Just one MLS team has won the CONCACAF Champions League. That team was Seattle Sounders in 2022.

When does the Leagues Cup begin?

The 2023 edition of the competition will start on July 21 and continue until August 19. MLS will pause for the Leagues Cup tournament to be played. MLS will return following the conclusion of the Leagues Cup.

Clubs that do not progress past the group stage may have a long layoff from their respective league regular season.