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There is no denying that it has been an exciting start to the new-look Leagues Cup, with plenty of surprises, superstar moments, and spectacular encounters on show in the group stages. The superstar arrivals of Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba has only helped further boost the interest in this new competition.
Previously played as a cozy, eight-team competition, the rebranded third-edition of the Leagues Cup evolves into a full-fledged 47-team expanded tournament this year, featuring every Major League Soccer and Liga MX club. Both leagues will pause their respective regular-season play for a month to take part in the World Cup-style tournament.
As is the case with every cup competition, some teams will gradually drop out of contention, while others will continue to advance through rounds in quest of becoming the ultimate champion. At GOAL, we review who's in and who's out before the Round of 32 gets underway.
Group Stage
While MLS Cup winners Los Angeles FC and Liga MX champions Pachuca are handed byes straight to the Round of 32, the other 45 participating clubs have been divided into 15 groups of three teams each based on 2022 league standings and geographic regions: East, Central, South and West.
Teams will face both of their group stage opponents once, and the top two teams from every group will advance to the single-legged knockout rounds.
It's also worth noting that there will be NO draws in group stage play. If the game is tied after regulation, the two sides will participate in a penalty shootout, with the winner being awarded an extra point in the standings. Only a victory in normal time guarantees three points for the winning club.
| Group | Winner | Second place | Eliminated |
|---|---|---|---|
| W1 | Tigres (Liga MX) | Portland | San Jose |
| W2 | Monterrey (Liga MX) | Salt Lake | Seattle |
| W3 | Leon (Liga MX) | Vancouver | LA Galaxy |
| C1 | America (Liga MX) | Colombus | St. Louis |
| C2 | Chicago (MLS) | Minnesota (MLS) | Puebla (Liga MX) |
| C3 | Cincinnati (MLS) | Kansas City (MLS) | Chivas (Liga MX) |
| C4 | Toluca (Liga MX) | Nashville (MLS) | Colorado (MLS) |
| S1 | Mazatlan (Liga MX) | Juarez (Liga MX) | Austin (MLS) |
| S2 | Orlando (MLS) | Houston (MLS) | Santos Laguna (Liga MX) |
| S3 | Inter Miami (MLS) | Cruz Azul (Liga MX) | Atlanta (MLS) |
| S4 | Charlotte (MLS) | Dallas (MLS) | Necaxa (Liga MX) |
| E1 | Philadelphia (MLS) | Queretaro (Liga MX) | Tijuana (Liga MX) |
| E2 | Pumas (Liga MX) | DC United (MLS) | Montreal (MLS) |
| E3 | Atlas (Liga MX) | New York City FC (MLS) | Toronto (MLS) |
| E4 | New York Red Bull (MLS) | New England (MLS) | San Luis (Liga MX) |
Round of 32
The Leagues Cup round of 32 matches are scheduled from August 2-4, 2023.
Fixtures and dates can be seen below.
Date | KO time (Eastern Time) | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 2 | 8:00 pm | Inter Miami 3-1 Orlando City | DRV PNK Stadium |
| August 2 | 9:00 pm | Mazatlan 1-2 FC Dallas | Toyota Stadium |
| August 2 | 9:00 pm | Pachuca 0(3)-0(5) Houston Dynamo | Shell Energy Stadium |
| August 2 | 10:30 pm | LAFC 7-1 Juarez | BMO Stadium |
| August 3 | 8:00 pm | Philadelphia Union 0(5)-0(4) D.C. United | Subaru Park |
| August 3 | 8:00 pm | Pumas UNAM 0-1 Queretaro | Audi Field |
| August 3 | 8:00 pm | New York Red Bulls vs. New York City FC | Red Bull Arena |
| August 3 | 8:00 pm | Atlas 2(7)-2(8) New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium |
| August 3 | 8:30 pm | Charlotte FC 0(4)-0(3) Cruz Azul | Toyota Stadium |
| August 3 | 10:30 pm | Leon 1-3 Real Salt Lake | America First Field |
| August 4 | 8:00 pm | Cincinnati 1(4)-1(5) Nashville | TQL Stadium |
| August 4 | 8:00 pm | Colombus 3(3)-3(4) Minnesota | Lower.com Field |
| August 4 | 8:00 pm | Chicago Fire 0-1 Club America | SeatGeek Stadium |
| August 4 | 9:00 pm | Toluca 4-1 Kansas City | Children's Mercy Park |
| August 4 | 10:00 pm | Portland Timber 0-1 Monterrey | Providence Park |
| August 4 | 10:30 pm | Tigres 1(5)-1(3) Vancouver Whitecaps | BC Place |
Round of 16
The Leagues Cup round of 16 games will be played between August 6 and August 8, 2023.
Date | KO time (Easter Time) | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 6 | 9:30 pm | FC Dallas 4(3)-4(4) Inter Miami | Toyota Stadium |
| August 7 | 7:30 pm | Philadelphia vs New York Red Bulls | Subaru Park |
| August 7 | 8:00 pm | Queretaro vs New England Revolution | Gillette Stadium |
| August 7 | 9:30 pm | Charlotte FC vs Houston Dynamo | Shell Energy Stadium |
| August 8 | 8:00 pm | Club América vs Nashville | GEODIS Park |
| August 8 | 8:00 pm | Toluca vs Minnesota United | Allianz Field |
| August 8 | 10:00 pm | Tigres vs Monterrey | Shell Energy Stadium |
| August 8 | 10:30 pm | LAFC vs Real Salt Lake | BMO Stadium |
Quarter-finals
The Leagues Cup quarter-final games are scheduled from August 11-12, 2023.
Date | KO time | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 11 | TBC | Inter Miami vs TBC | TBC |
| August 11 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| August 12 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| August 12 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Semi-finals
The Leagues Cup semi-final games are scheduled from August 15, 2023.
Date | KO time | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 15 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
| August 15 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Third place play-off
The Leagues Cup third place play-off encounter is scheduled for August 19, 2023.
Date | KO time | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 19 | TBC | TBC | TBC |
Final
The Leagues Cup showpiece final is scheduled for August 19, 2023.
The champion receives an automatic qualification to the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16. The runner-up as well as the third-place match winner qualify for the Concacaf Champions League.
Date | KO time | Fixture | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 19 | TBC | TBC | TBC |