"Leagues Cup officials are finalizing the details to have Mexico host certain matches of the upcoming edition of the tournament, sources told ESPN. The intraleague competition featuring teams from MLS and Liga MX was previously played exclusively in the United States and Canada. The tournament, now in its fourth season in an expanded format, will now be played across the continent following the 2026 FIFA World Cup."
"Phase One of the 2026 Leagues Cup will kick off on Aug. 4, featuring all 18 Mexican teams and 18 qualifying MLS clubs. The format will mirror the 2025 edition of Leagues Cup, seeing clubs compete in three matches in an attempt to qualify to the knockout rounds. All 54 phase one matches are set to be played between Liga MX and MLS clubs."
Leagues Cup officials are finalizing details to have Mexico host certain matches of the 2026 tournament. The intraleague competition featuring MLS and Liga MX teams was previously played exclusively in the United States and Canada and will expand across the continent following the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Phase One will begin Aug. 4 and include all 18 Mexican teams alongside 18 qualifying MLS clubs, with each club playing three matches to attempt qualification to knockout rounds. All 54 Phase One matches will be played between Liga MX and MLS clubs. The top four clubs from each league's tables are placed in a fixed bracket for single-game elimination starting with quarterfinals, featuring only MLS vs. Liga MX matchups; pairings will be determined by first-round performance. The tournament keeps a no-draw format, sending tied matches after regulation directly to penalties, and the final is scheduled for Sept. 6. The champion and three additional top finishers will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup. Seattle Sounders FC won the 2025 Leagues Cup by beating Inter Miami CF, while Inter Miami won in 2023 during Lionel Messi's first season with the team.
Read at ESPN.com
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