Inter Miami secure hard-fought draw against Tigres in Leagues Cup title defense
The revised Leagues Cup tournament, set to start on July 26 and wrap up with the final on August 25, promises to be an exciting, nail-biting competition. The joint MLS and Liga MX event will feature all 47 clubs in a battle for the regional title and three automatic spots into the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup.
This year’s tournament will see the teams distributed into 15 groups of three. The top two teams from each group will head to the knockout round, and they will be joined by the Liga MX champion Club America and MLS Cup winner Columbus Crew, who have received byes.
As opposed to the four regions that were used in 2023, this year’s competitors are split into two regions, East and West. The group distribution was based on a new “Leagues Cup Ranking” system, which considered the teams’ regular season performances in 2023. This system aimed to ensure a fair balance of competitiveness and minimize travel burdens for the participants.
Some of the high-profile matchups to look forward to include Lionel Messi’s title-holding Inter Miami CF facing Mexican powerhouse Tigres, while the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes will take on Liga MX giant Chivas.
There is a lot of anticipation surrounding these games, particularly as it’s expected to be a tough competition right from the group stage. Players like Messi, Chicharito, and Cade Cowell, who recently left the San Jose Earthquakes for Chivas, will add another layer of excitement and storyline to the matchups.
Similar to 2023, no group stage games will end in ties, which means that penalty shootouts for an additional point will continue for matches that are level after regulation play ends. After playing each team within their group once, the top two from the 15 groups will go through to the knockout round and join Club America and Columbus Crew.
All matches will be played in the United States and Canada, with some modifications to reduce travel for the top-ranked Mexican teams. The Leagues Cup Committee has also noted that the possibility of playing games in Mexico in the future is being considered, aiming to provide an exciting blend of matchups for fans in both countries.
Overall, the 2024 Leagues Cup promises to be a thrilling, must-watch event, bringing together the best of MLS and Liga MX in high-stakes matches from the outset. With the buzz around the participating teams and the unique format, the tournament is poised to deliver great excitement and entertainment for soccer fans.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF, the reigning champion, is scheduled to face Mexican powerhouse Tigres, while the LA Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes will challenge Liga MX giant Chivas in the group stage of the revised Leagues Cup tournament this summer. Starting on July 26 and concluding with a final on Aug. 25, the competition will again feature all 47 clubs competing for the regional title and three automatic spots into the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. The teams have been organized into 15 groups of three based on the Leagues Cup Ranking system, with two teams receiving byes into the knockout round based on their previous season’s performance. This year, the competitors are divided into groups within two regions, East and West, as opposed to the four regions used in 2023, in order to account for travel and competitive balance. After the group stage matches, the top two teams from each of the 15 groups will advance to the knockout round, with the remaining knockout matches being single-elimination. The top three teams will gain entry into the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. All matches will continue to be played in the United States and Canada, with selected “hub privileges” allocated to the top-ranked Mexican teams to reduce travel. The tournament is also being held with respect to other Concacaf-sanctioned competitions, such as the Concacaf Champions Cup. The competition schedule, full playoff brackets, and match venues are yet to be finalized.
