Major League Soccer and LIGA MX announced today important competition details, including dates, format and hosting process for the first edition of the historic and highly-anticipated 2023 Leagues Cup which will feature every club in the top two leagues in North America.
Leagues Cup 2023 dates
- Tournament runs from July 21 to August 19
- MLS and LIGA MX will pause their respective league seasons. No MLS or LIGA MX regular season matches will be played during Leagues Cup.
Format
- An official Concacaf competition
- All MLS and LIGA MX clubs will participate
- World Cup style tournament: group stage followed by knockout rounds
- 4 regions: East, West, South, Central
No ties!
- No ties in Leagues Cup 2023
- Each team receives 1 point if the game is tied after 90 minutes.
- The winner of the subsequent penalty shootout will earn an additional point.
- Regulation wins count as three points.
Hosted at MLS stadiums
- 77 games hosted at MLS stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada
- LIGA MX v. LIGA MX matches will be played at MLS venues depending on region
Group Stage byes for 2022 champions
- 2022 MLS Cup Champion skips the group stage and starts at Round of 32
- Of the two LIGA MX recent champions in Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022, the club with the most combined points accumulated across both tournaments in the 2022 calendar year will skip the group stage and start at Round of 32
Group Stage
- Each club will play a minimum of two matches in group stage
- The top two teams from each group will advance, based on group points
- Tiebreakers and full competition guidelines will be published in the coming months
Group assignments
- MLS clubs ranked 2 to 16 based on 2022 Supporters’ Shield finish are seeded first in each group
- LIGA MX clubs ranked 2 to 16 based on total points from Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022 combined will be in the second position in each group, opposite the MLS rankings (LIGA MX #15 paired with MLS #2)
- The remaining 13 MLS clubs, together with the 2 remaining LIGA MX clubs, will be drawn into groups and divided geographically.
Knockout Rounds
- Single game elimination
- Round of 32: 16 matches
- Round of 16: 8 matches
- Quarterfinals: 4 matches
- Semifinals
- Third place match (winner qualifies for Concacaf Champions League)
- Final on on Saturday, August 19 (both clubs qualify for Concacaf Champions League; Leagues Cup winner skips directly to Concacaf Champions League Round of 16)
Tournament Rewards
- Third place match winner qualifies for Concacaf Champions League
- Both clubs in the Leagues Cup final qualify for Concacaf Champions League
- Leagues Cup 2023 Champion qualifies directly to Concacaf Champions League Round of 16
How to watch 2023 Leagues Cup
2023 Leagues Cup Tickets
MLS club season ticket holders should contact their club representative for more information.
