Leagues Cup kicks off with MLS vs. Liga MX matchups

The Leagues Cup – the 36-team tournament featuring select clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico’s Liga MX – is back and will kick off with six games on Tuesday, July 29.

This is a modified tournament format from the one used during the last two summers that included every club from MLS and Liga MX. With 18 teams from MLS and 18 teams from Liga MX, at least 94% of the tournament (58 of the 62 possible matches) will feature an MLS club against a Liga MX club before the semifinals.

The MLS clubs participating in Leagues Cup were playoff teams last season, with the exception of expansion side San Diego FC, which is taking the place of the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The Columbus Crew are the defending Leagues Cup champions, having won the 2024 tournament final over Los Angeles FC. Inter Miami won the 2023 edition of the tournament in Lionel Messi’s first season with the team.

Here is everything you need to know to follow the 2025 Leagues Cup tournament:

Where will Leagues Cup be broadcast?

All 62 Leagues Cup matches will be streamed live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. FS1 will broadcast 14 matches. Univision, UniMás and TUDN will provide Spanish-language broadcasts of 16 Leagues Cup matches. You can watch Fox Sports and Univision on Fubo.

Watch the entire 2025 Leagues Cup on Apple TV

What are the 2025 Leagues Cup teams?

MLS

Atlanta United
CF Montréal
Charlotte FC
Colorado Rapids
Columbus Crew
FC Cincinnati
Houston Dynamo FC
Inter Miami CF
Los Angeles FC
Los Angeles Galaxy
Minnesota United FC
New York City FC
New York Red Bulls
Orlando City SC
Portland Timbers
Real Salt Lake
San Diego FC
Seattle Sounders FC

Liga MX

Atlas
Atlético San Luis
CF Monterrey
Chivas de Guadalajara
Club América
Club León
Club Puebla
Club Tijuana
Cruz Azul
FC Juárez
Mazatlán
Necaxa
Pachuca
Pumas UNAM
Querétaro
Santos Laguna
Tigres UANL
Toluca

New format for 2025 Leagues Cup

This year, not every team from Major League Soccer will participate (the previous two editions had featured 47 teams). With an even number of teams from each league (18 apiece), it means that each ‘Phase One’ match will feature direct MLS vs. Liga MX matchups. Despite playing against teams from the opposing league, MLS and Liga MX clubs will be in league-specific tables.

The top four clubs from each league-specific table advances to the knockout rounds. There are no draws, with games tied after regulation going straight to a penalty shootout.

The quarterfinal matchups will be determined by a team’s place in the top four of their respective league’s table: MLS 1 vs. Liga MX 4, MLS 2 vs. Liga MX 3, MLS 3 vs. Liga MX 2, MLS 4 vs. Liga MX 1).

Three Concacaf Champions Cup spots will be rewarded. The winner of the third-place match and the Leagues Cup finalists automatically will qualify for next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup competition. The Leagues Cup champion will qualify directly to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.

The 12 MLS teams not competing in the 2025 Leagues Cup will have a break until Matchday 28 on Aug. 9.

What is the 2025 Leagues Cup schedule?

(Games on broadcast TV are noted below.)

PHASE ONE

Tuesday, July 29

Toluca vs. Columbus Crew (Lower.com Field), 7 p.m. ET
CF Montréal vs. Club León (Stade Saputo), 7 p.m. ET
New York City FC vs. Club Puebla (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 8 p.m. ET
Tigres UANL vs. Houston Dynamo FC (Shell Energy Stadium), 9 p.m. ET (UniMás/TUDN)
Los Angeles FC vs. Mazatlán (BMO Stadium), 10:30 p.m. ET
Pachuca vs. San Diego FC (Snapdragon Stadium), 11 p.m. ET (FS1)

Wednesday, July 30

Inter Miami CF vs. Atlas (Chase Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Necaxa vs. Atlanta United (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Pumas UNAM vs. Orlando City SC (Inter&Co Stadium), 8 p.m. ET (FS1, UniMás/TUDN)
Minnesota United FC vs. Querétaro (Allianz Field), 8:30 p.m. ET
Club América vs. Real Salt Lake (America First Field), 9:30 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. Atlético San Luis (Providence Park), 10:30 p.m. ET (FS1)

Thursday, July 31

CF Monterrey vs. FC Cincinnati (TQL Stadium), 7 p.m. ET
FC Charlotte vs. FC Juárez (Bank of America Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Chivas de Guadalajara vs. New York Red Bulls (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Colorado Rapids vs. Santos Laguna (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park), 9:30 p.m. ET
Cruz Azul vs. Seattle Sounders FC (Lumen Field), 10:30 p.m. ET (FS1, UniMás/TUDN)
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Club Tijuana (Dignity Health Sports Park), 11 p.m. ET

Friday, Aug. 1

New York City FC vs. Club León (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 6 p.m. ET
Columbus Crew vs. Club Puebla (Lower.com Field), 7 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Mazatlán (Shell Energy Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
Toluca vs. CF Montréal (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
Los Angeles FC vs. Pachuca (BMO Stadium), 10:30 p.m. ET
Tigres UANL vs. San Diego FC (Snapdragon Stadium), 11 p.m. ET (FS1, UniMás/TUDN)

Saturday, Aug. 2

Orlando City SC vs. Atlas (Inter&Co Stadium), 6 p.m. ET (Univision/TUDN)
Inter Miami CF vs. Necaxa (Chase Stadium), 7 p.m. ET
Pumas UNAM vs. Atlanta United (Inter&Co Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
Club América vs. Minnesota United FC (Shell Energy Stadium), 9 p.m. ET (FS1, Univision/TUDN)
Real Salt Lake vs. Atlético San Luis (America First Field), 9:30 p.m. ET
Portland Timbers vs. Querétaro (Providence Park), 11 p.m. ET (FS1)

Sunday, Aug. 3

FC Cincinnati vs. FC Juárez (TQL Stadium), 5:30 p.m. ET
Chivas de Guadalajara vs. FC Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium), 7:50 p.m. ET (FS1, Univision/TUDN)
CF Monterrey vs. New York Red Bulls (TQL Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
Colorado Rapids vs. Club Tijuana (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park), 9:30 p.m. ET
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Santos Laguna (Lumen Field), 10:30 p.m. ET (FS1, Univision/TUDN)
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Cruz Azul (Dignity Health Sports Park), 10:30 p.m. ET

Tuesday, Aug. 5

Toluca vs. New York City FC (Yankee Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Columbus Crew vs. Club León (Lower.com Field), 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, UniMás/TUDN)
CF Montréal vs. Club Puebla (Stade Saputo), 8 p.m. ET
Houston Dynamo FC vs. Pachuca (Shell Energy Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
Mazatlán vs. San Diego FC (Snapdragon Stadium), 10 p.m. ET
Tigres UANL vs. Los Angeles FC (BMO Stadium), 10:30 p.m. ET

Wednesday, Aug. 6

Orlando City SC vs. Necaxa (Inter&Co Stadium), 7 p.m. ET
Atlanta United vs. Atlas (Mercedes-Benz Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET (UniMás/TUDN)
Inter Miami CF vs. Pumas UNAM (Chase Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
Minnesota United FC vs. Atlético San Luis (Allianz Field), 8:30 p.m. ET
Club América vs. Portland Timbers (Q2 Stadium), 9:30 p.m. ET
Real Salt Lake vs. Querétaro (America First Field), 9:30 p.m. ET
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Club Tijuana (Lumen Field), 11 p.m. ET

Thursday, Aug. 7

FC Cincinnati vs. Chivas de Guadalajara (TQL Stadium), 7 p.m. ET
New York Red Bulls vs. FC Juárez (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
CF Monterrey vs. FC Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET (FS1, UniMás/TUDN)
Cruz Azul vs. Colorado Rapids (Dignity Health Sports Park), 8:30 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Santos Laguna (Dignity Health Sports Park), 11:15 p.m. ET (FS1)

QUARTERFINALS

Tuesday, Aug. 19-Wednesday, Aug. 20

SEMIFNALS

Tuesday, Aug. 26-Wednesday, Aug. 27

THIRD-PLACE MATCH

Sunday, Aug. 31

FINAL

Sunday, Aug. 31

Previous Leagues Cup winners

2024: Columbus Crew (over Los Angeles FC)
2023: Inter Miami CF (over Nashville SC)
2021: Club León (over Seattle Sounders FC)
2019: Cruz Azul (over Tigres UANL)

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