The MLS and the Liga MX will play the Leagues Cup in 2023

All MLS and Liga MX clubs will now compete in a month-long rebranded league cup starting in 2023. This was announced by the organisers of the two top North American football leagues. This will replace the old eight teams single elimination format currently in use. The winner will have a direct slot to the CONCACAF Champions League, two Mexican teams are competing in this year's final.

The new Leagues Cup format

The organisers are yet to provide full details on the competition but with the little information available, the tournament will be played by all teams in the two leagues. It will first be 16 groups with at least three teams each, which would proceed to a 32team single elimination knockout rounds. The winner will automatically qualify for the round of 16 of the CONCACAF Champions League while the second and third teams will qualify for the group stages of the Champions League.

The Leagues Cup schedule

The Leagues Cup will not run simultaneously with the two leagues, it will instead be an event that will be held between July and August, which means the two leagues will be paused to allow for the event to hold for one month. Major League Soccer will pause in the middle of their own regular football season which starts in March. The Liga MX may likely delay their own season which starts in August a bit to allow for the competition to be held.

The tournament is another collaboration between the two leagues. The first is the Campeones Cup, where the winner of the MLS and Liga MX compete in. The other is the MLS All stars game that involves all stars from both leagues.

What the MLS commissioner said.

“The new Leagues Cup with every club in MLS and Liga MX competing in an intense, month-long, tournament will establish new standards for what is possible between our two leagues, and further showcase our players and clubs to a global audience,” said MLS commissioner Don Garber.

“Since its launch three and a half years ago, our partnership with Liga MX has grown quickly and the competition has brought out the best in both of us. On the path to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, this is the perfect moment to produce a tournament that will elevate the profile of Concacaf and showcase the incredible passion our region has for soccer played at the highest level.”  

What the Liga MX president said.

“We are in a celebratory mood given the historic announcement about the new competition ecosystem established by Concacaf in which there will be an expansion of the Leagues Cup. This is an example of coordination and goal alignment between the confederation, MLS and Liga MX," said Mikel Arriola, the executive president of Liga MX.

"All parties involved converged on the objective to provide the fans of North American football and all over the world greater entertainment and spectacle, provide MLS and Liga MX clubs a more intensified competition schedule to raise playing standards and quality. In this way, economic benefits can be reinvested creating a virtuous cycle assisting the development of players, clubs, and marketing opportunities for futbol and sports in general.”