As it enters its fifth year, the Leagues Cup continues to reshape the landscape of North American club soccer.
Since 2019, Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX have deepened the historic rivalry between the region’s top leagues, facing off in this Concacaf-sanctioned summer tournament.
With high stakes on the line, the competition not only fuels national pride but also offers qualification to the Concacaf Champions Cup for the top three teams.
Format
For the 2025 edition, the Leagues Cup introduces an updated format, featuring 36 clubs — 18 from LIGA MX and 18 from Major League Soccer.
MLS will be represented by the top nine teams from each conference (Eastern and Western) based on their performance in the previous season’s Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. In line with new qualification criteria, expansion side San Diego FC — set to debut this season — will take the place of Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the tournament.
Sanctioned by Concacaf, the Leagues Cup offers more than just regional bragging rights. The top three finishers will earn direct qualification to the Concacaf Champions Cup, with a chance to join Cruz Azul at the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
Leagues Cup 2025 will unfold in two stages: the League Stage (Phase One) kicks off on July 29, followed by the Knockout Rounds, culminating in the final on August 31.
While the tournament plays out, both MLS and LIGA MX regular seasons will continue in parallel, with most Leagues Cup elimination matches set for midweek dates.
Points System: No Draws Allowed
Leagues Cup 2025 eliminates traditional draws to ensure every match has a decisive outcome. If a game ends tied after 90 minutes, both teams receive one point, but the winner of the ensuing penalty shootout earns an additional point. A victory in regulation time is worth the full three points.
At the end of the group stage, the four teams with the highest point totals from each league will advance directly to the Knockout Rounds, beginning at the quarterfinal stage.
League Stage Format: Regional Battles with Cross-League Clashes
The opening phase of the Leagues Cup will see each club play three consecutive matches, all part of a tightly scheduled group stage. A total of 54 games are guaranteed, and every one of them will be contested between MLS and LIGA MX teams — no intra-league matchups in this phase.
Teams are split evenly into two geographic regions: East and West, with 18 clubs in each. Within each region, the clubs are placed into three tiers based on their Leagues Cup seeding:
- Division 1: Teams ranked 1st to 3rd from each league
- Division 2: Teams ranked 4th to 6th
- Division 3: Teams ranked 7th to 9th
Seeding for MLS teams is based on the final 2024 Supporters’ Shield standings, with expansion side San Diego FC slotted at the bottom. LIGA MX clubs are ranked based on their combined performance across both the Clausura and Apertura 2024 tournaments — a total of 34 matches.
Each team will face three opponents from the opposing league, ensuring interleague competition throughout.
While battling on the field, clubs will also be competing on parallel league-specific leaderboards — one for MLS and one for LIGA MX. Points earned go toward a club’s own league table: an MLS team earns Leagues Cup MLS points with a win, while a LIGA MX victory contributes to the Leagues Cup LIGA MX standings.
Knockout Rounds: A Cross-League Showdown
The top four teams from each league’s specific Leagues Cup standings — four from MLS and four from LIGA MX — will move on to the Knockout Rounds. These eight clubs will be placed into a fixed single-elimination bracket, starting with the Quarterfinals.
Matchups in the Quarterfinals will be determined based on teams’ performance in the group stage, with a cross-league seeding system:
- MLS 1 vs. LIGA MX 4
- MLS 2 vs. LIGA MX 3
- MLS 3 vs. LIGA MX 2
- MLS 4 vs. LIGA MX 1
Winners of those four matches will advance to the Semifinals, while the losing sides in that round will face off in a Third-Place Match. The two remaining contenders will meet in the Leagues Cup Final, set for Sunday, August 31.
What’s at Stake: Champions Cup Berths on the Line
Leagues Cup 2025 offers more than regional glory — it’s a direct pathway to international competition. The winner of the Third-Place Match will secure a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Both finalists automatically earn qualification as well, but the ultimate prize is reserved for the champion: the Leagues Cup winner will bypass the early rounds and advance directly to the Round of 16 in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Leagues Cup 2025 promises to be a landmark edition, bringing together the top clubs from MLS and LIGA MX in a highly competitive, restructured format. Previous winners include two Liga MX sides (Cruz Azul & Club León) and two MLS sides (Inter Miami & Columbus Crew), so we will see a new name carved onto the silverware, or one of the former champions returning for glory.
As North American soccer continues to grow, this tournament stands as a key platform for showcasing regional talent, deepening rivalries, and elevating the level of club competition across the continent.
What are your thoughts on the new Leagues Cup format? Let us know in the comments!