New for this year, Leagues Cup 2025 will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Rounds. Phase One will feature three consecutive match dates per club to be played between July 29-August 7, and all 54 Phase One matches will be played between MLS and LIGA MX clubs.
The MLS and LIGA MX regular seasons will continue play through the month of August, with most Leagues Cup knockout matches played midweek.
The Leagues Cup Ranking combines MLS and LIGA MX league performance across 34 regular season matches into a unified table. MLS teams will be ranked based on the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings with San Diego listed last, while LIGA MX clubs will be ranked based on the cumulative 34 matches in the 2024 Clausura and Apertura tournaments.
Regional Tiers: Clubs will be divided evenly into two regions of 18 teams each: Eastern and Western.
The Leagues Cup Organizing Committee determined regional assignments based on Leagues Cup Ranking and geographical considerations. Within each region, the 18 teams will be sorted into three tiers:
- Tier 1: Teams ranked 1-3 from each league
- Tier 2: Teams ranked 4-6 from each league
- Tier 3: Teams ranked 7-9 from each league
Six sets will be formed to facilitate Phase One play, three sets in the East and three sets in the West.
Each set will include six clubs: one MLS club and one LIGA MX club from each of the Tiers (Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3).
Phase One Matchups: Each club will play three matches against the three opponents from the opposite league within their set. Leagues Cup Phase One matches are determined by the Leagues Cup Ranking, as well as by region.
More information regarding Leagues Cup 2025 matchups and schedule and other details will be announced in the coming weeks.
Points System: While competing on the field against teams from the opposite league, MLS and LMX teams will be competing in a league-specific table against the teams from their own league. New to this format, clubs will earn points within their league-specific tables. For example, an MLS club's win earns points in the Leagues Cup MLS table, while a LIGA MX win contributes to the Leagues Cup
LIGA MX table. Further competition details, including tie-breaking criteria will be included in the tournament regulations.
The top four (4) clubs from each Leagues Cup league-specific table advance to the Quarterfinals. The tables were designed to ensure more interleague matches into the Knockout Rounds.
Knockout Rounds: Following Phase One, the advancing four (4) clubs from the MLS and LIGA MX tables will be placed in a fixed bracket to compete in the single-game elimination Knockout Rounds beginning with the Quarterfinals (four matches), featuring only MLS vs. LIGA MX matchups. The Quarterfinal pairings will be decided based on Leagues Cup Phase One performance with an inverse order of ranking among the respective league tables (MLS 1 vs. LIGA MX 4, MLS 2 vs. LIGA MX 3, MLS 3 vs. LIGA MX 2, and MLS 4 vs. LIGA MX 1). See bracket below.
The four (4) advancing clubs will compete in the two Semifinal matches, as determined by the bracket. The Leagues Cup 2025 Third Place match and Final will determine the three clubs that qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
This new format, based on the Leagues Cup Ranking, was created following a collaborative effort of the Leagues Cup Organizing Committee, comprised of representatives from Leagues Cup, MLS and LIGA MX leadership. Considerations included rewarding regular season results and geographical regions while addressing learnings from past editions of the tournament and featuring more interleague MLS and LIGA MX matchups.
No Draws: Leagues Cup 2025 will maintain its current No Draws format. Each club receives one 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. During the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Third Place and Final, if tied at the end of regulation time the winner will be determined by a subsequent penalty shootout. Match Officials and technology: Concacaf will appoint match officials for Leagues Cup 2025. The tournament will also again feature VAR technology, including virtual offside line.
