North America to host groundbreaking soccer tournament in summer 2024
HOUSTON - The League's Cup has arrived, bringing four weeks, three countries, two leagues, and crowning one champion.
North American soccer is set to witness an unprecedented event in the summer of 2024, as Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX put their seasons on hold to kick off a month-long, World Cup-style tournament. The event will run from July 26 to August 25, 2024, and will feature all 47 first division clubs from Canada, Mexico, and the United States competing for the title sanctioned by Concacaf.
The competition promises to boost soccer's popularity and competitive spirit across the continent. This pioneering effort is part of a broader initiative to strengthen the sport in the region ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the three participating nations.
Soccer experts are already predicting that this tournament could serve as a platform for young talents to shine, while also providing a unique challenge for the established clubs. The collaboration between MLS and Liga MX is a significant step in a joint effort to elevate the quality and stature of North American soccer on the global stage.
Leagues Cup Overview:
- Number of Matches: The tournament will consist of 77 matches over the course of one month.
- Venues: All matches will be hosted at various MLS stadiums throughout the United States and Canada.
- Participating Clubs: The tournament will feature all 29 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs, with each participating every year.
- Tournament Structure: The Leagues Cup will adopt a World Cup style format with a Group Stage divided into two regions, East and West, followed by Knockout Rounds, culminating in a single team being crowned the champion.
- Concacaf Sanction: The tournament is officially sanctioned by Concacaf.
- Champions Cup Qualification: The top three teams from the Leagues Cup will receive automatic bids into the Concacaf Champions Cup, offering a path to the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup.
- FIFA Club World Cup Opportunity: Success in the Leagues Cup provides the teams with the chance to represent the Concacaf Confederation at the FIFA Club World Cup, competing against the world's top club teams.
Leagues Cup Points System:
- Regulation Wins: A team that wins a match in regulation time will be awarded 3 points.
- No Draws: The tournament format does not allow for tied matches at the end of regulation time.
- Tied Matches: If a game is tied after 90 minutes, both teams will receive 1 point each.
- Penalty Shootouts: The winner of the penalty shootout, which follows a game tied at the end of regulation, will earn an additional point.
Group Assignments and Rankings:
Leagues Cup Ranking System: Introduced in 2024, a tiered ranking system is used to place clubs in tiers based on their performance in their last 34 regular season matches. The Leagues Cup Ranking considers:
- MLS Teams: Ranked based on the 2023 MLS Supporters' Shield standings.
- Liga MX Clubs: Ranked based on their performance across the cumulative 34 matches in the 2023 Clausura and Apertura tournaments.
Formation of Groups: All participating clubs, except for the two league champions (Columbus Crew and Club América), are divided into three tiers based on the Leagues Cup Ranking (1-15, 16-30, and 31-45). Fifteen groups are formed, each consisting of three clubs, one from each tier, with an emphasis on geographical proximity and competitive balance among the 45 clubs.
Hub Privileges for Top Liga MX Clubs: The Liga MX Champion and the three highest-ranked Liga MX clubs will receive hub privileges. These privileges aim to minimize travel for the Liga MX clubs and allow them to play in predetermined venues as the home team, based on the Leagues Cup Ranking.
The Leagues Cup competition format has been designed to incorporate a unique combination of elements from both the MLS and Liga MX leagues, along with a tiered ranking system that influences the tournament's dynamics. Here is a structured breakdown of the group stage and qualifications:
Automatic Advancements:
- Columbus Crew: As the 2023 MLS Cup winner, they have an automatic spot in the Round of 32.
- Club América: Having accumulated the most points across the Clausura 2023 and Apertura 2023 seasons, they also secure an automatic berth in the Round of 32.
Group Stage Format:
- Minimum Matches: Every club is guaranteed to play at least two matches in the Group Stage.
- Progression: The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 32, continuing their quest for the championship.
Group Assignments and Ranking System:
- Leagues Cup Ranking: A new tiered system places clubs in tiers by assessing their performance in the most recent 34 regular season matches.
- MLS Ranking: MLS teams are ordered based on their standings in the 2023 MLS Supporters' Shield.
- Liga MX Ranking: Clubs from Liga MX are ordered based on their collective results from the Clausura and Apertura seasons in 2023.
- Tier Divisions: Participating clubs, excluding Columbus Crew and Club América, are categorized into three tiers (1-15, 16-30, and 31-45). This results in the formation of 15 groups, with each group including one club from every tier.
- Balanced Groups: The groups are assembled by prioritizing both geographical vicinity and the competitive balance among the 45 clubs.
Hub Privileges for Liga MX Clubs:
- Liga MX Champion and Top Clubs: The champion and the top three ranked Liga MX clubs are awarded hub privileges, reflecting their high standings in the Leagues Cup Ranking.
- Travel Minimization: These privileges aim to lessen the burden of travel for the top-ranked Liga MX clubs.
- Home Advantage: The privileged clubs will have the opportunity to play in predetermined venues, effectively serving as the home team during their matches in the Leagues Cup.
The elimination phase of the Leagues Cup intensifies the competition as teams must win each matchup to stay in the running for the championship. Below is the structure of the knockout rounds leading up to the grand finale:
Elimination Round Structure:
- Single Game Elimination: Teams must win their match to advance to the next round; there are no second legs or aggregates.
- Round of 32: The knockout rounds kick off with the Round of 32, featuring a total of 16 matches.
- Round of 16: The victors from the Round of 32 go head-to-head in this next phase, consisting of 8 matches.
- Quarterfinals: The 8 winners of the Round of 16 progress to the Quarterfinals, each match determining who moves one step closer to the title.
- Semifinals: The four Quarterfinal winners compete in the Semifinals, each seeking to secure their place in the final match.
Placement Matches:
- Third Place Match: The two teams that do not advance from the Semifinals will play in a Third Place Match, ensuring a competitive end to their tournament run.
- Leagues Cup Final: The main event will be held on Sunday, August 25, where the two Semifinal winners battle it out to be crowned the champions of the Leagues Cup.
Qualification for Concacaf Champions Cup:
- Third Place Match: The winner of this match secures a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup, making even the battle for third place highly significant.
- Leagues Cup Finalists: Both of the clubs that reach the Leagues Cup Final are assured automatic qualification into the Concacaf Champions Cup.
- Leagues Cup Champion: Besides winning the tournament, the Leagues Cup 2023 Champion will earn direct entry into the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Houston Dynamo FC kickoff Leagues Cup Group Stage play versus Liga MX side Atlas C.F. on Saturday, July 27, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium.