2026 Leagues Cup Format and Schedule Released Following World Cup Pause
Thirty-six clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX will compete in a month-long knockout tournament in August and September, with the final determining CONCACAF Champions Cup qualifiers.
The 2026 Leagues Cup competition details have been finalised, confirming a month-long tournament involving 36 clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX scheduled for August and September. The event takes place immediately following the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which is being hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, with league action pausing briefly to accommodate the cross-border clash.
This marks the sixth edition of the tournament and the fourth since its major rebranding in 2023. The competition adopts a format similar to the UEFA Champions League, utilising a Swiss Model for the league phase followed by a knockout stage. The league phase comprises three matchweeks running from 4 to 13 August, with the quarterfinals and semifinals occurring in late August and early September.
Matchups in the league phase were determined by a draw utilising eastern and western breakdowns to minimise travel distances. Teams were seeded by their combined table finishes, with six-team regional groupings formed by selecting one team from each league tier. Within these groups, each Liga MX team plays each MLS team, ensuring a balanced regional structure before the tables are sorted by league to guarantee an equal number of qualifiers from each competition.
The top four teams from each league table will advance to the quarterfinals. The knockout phase is structured to feature one MLS team against one Liga MX team in each quarterfinal, with seeding determined by league table positions; for example, the first-place MLS finisher will face the fourth-place Liga MX finisher. Specific results from the opening matchweek include the Columbus Crew defeating Atlas 3-1 on 4 August.
Qualification for the CONCACAF Champions Cup remains the primary incentive for the finalists. Both finalists will secure spots in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16, while the third-place finisher will earn a place in the first round. MLS clubs have dominated the post-2023 era, winning each of the last three editions, with the Seattle Sounders claiming the most recent title.
