Is MLS better than Liga MX? Champions Cup final reignited the debate

MLS club Columbus Crew defeated Liga MX side Cruz Azul 2-0 in the Champions Cup final and it has reignited the debate of which of the top North American League is better. The growth of the MLS in recent years can't be underestimated while the Liga MX has been long established. The two leagues have collaborated many times and will start a joint Leagues Cup in 2023.

History of the Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer was founded in 1988, when the United States Soccer Federation pledged to create a Division 1 professional soccer league as a condition to FIFA awarding the 1994 FIFA World Cup to the United States. It was officially formed in 1995 and began playing in 1996 with just 10 teams. Since then it has had its ups and downs. Now an average MLS game has above 20,000 audience, and is the seventh highest attended professional soccer league worldwide. With more than 26 teams in and plans to expand to 30, MLS is currently the largest first division professional soccer league in the world.

History of the Liga MX

Liga MX was established professionally in the year 1943. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación (F.M.F.) announcement of the nation's first professional league brought interest from many clubs to join. The F.M.F. announced that 10 clubs would form the Liga Mayor (Major League). The league was founded by six clubs from the Primera Fuerza of Mexico City, two clubs from the Liga Occidental, and two from the Liga Veracruzana. In the 1950's and 1960's the clubs experienced some difficulties due to lack of international competitions. Prior to the start of the 2012–13 season, the organization Liga MX / Ascenso MX was created to replace the Mexican Football Federation as the organizing body of the competition. The league also announced a rebranding, with the introduction of a new logo.

MLS vs Liga MX in the CONCACAF Champions League

MLS has participated in the current format of the competition since it started 9 years ago. As of 2021, 21 MLS teams have appeared in the CONCACAF Champions League so far. And they have managed to play four finals. The first MLS team to defeat a team from Mexico Seattle's Sounders in the 2013 quarter final win over UANL. 

The first MLS team to finish first in its group was Real Salt Lake in 2010.The best performance by an MLS team occurred in 2018, when Toronto FC reached the final, before losing to Mexico's Guadalajara 4–2 on penalties following a 3–3 scoreline on aggregate. After that, Real Salt Lake, CF Montréal and Los Angeles FC all also reached the final, losing to Monterrey in 2011, América in 2015 and UANL in 2020, respectively. Therefore no MLS team has ever won the Champions League since it began its new format in 2008, thus not having the opportunity to have a team in the FIFA Club World Cup.

How did it go between Columbus Crew and Cruz Azul?

The Mexican club was dealt their second defeat by their host in less than 12 months to win the club’s first international trophy. An early goal, an own goal by Bryan Angulk that was well defended till the second half and a second half header by Jonathan Mensah was enough to seal the game for the Crew.