The Leagues Cup 2023 match schedule and bracket were announced Thursday, setting up the inaugural edition of the official Concacaf competition that sees all 47 clubs – 18 from LIGA MX and 29 from MLS – compete in a World Cup-style tournament from July 21 to August 19.
The competition’s top three finishers will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions League, with league competition paused throughout. All matches will air on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app*, while select games are also on TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS in the United States and Canada.
Key dates
- Group stage: July 21 - July 31
- Round of 32: August 2 - August 4
- Round of 16: August 6 - August 8
- Quarterfinals: August 11 - August 12
- Semifinals: August 15
- Third Place: August 19
- Final: August 19
Group stage
Automatic qualifiers
Two teams have qualified directly into the Round of 32 for their performance last year.
- LAFC: MLS Cup 2022 champion
- Pachuca: LIGA MX champion; most combined points accumulated across the 2022 Clausura and Apertura seasons
15 groups
The remaining teams are divided into 15 groups across four regions – West, Central, South and East – based on 2022 performance and their geographic regions. Clubs are guaranteed two group-stage games to be played at MLS venues.
Knockout Rounds
Who advances?
- The top two teams from each group will advance to the Round of 32.
- The top advancing club from each group will face a second-place team from a group in their same region.
Where Bye teams enter
- Pachuca enter in the South region.
- LAFC enter in the West region.
Due to the odd number of teams in Leagues Cup 2023, the second-place team in South Region Group 1 will enter the bracket in the West Region, as that group has the lowest-performing team in the 2022 season (No. 2 club in the South region).
Venues
In 2023, advancing MLS clubs will host knockout round matches against LIGA MX teams, and MLS venues will host all Leagues Cup knockout round matches.
Knockout Round match locations and kickoff times will be announced at the conclusion of the Group Stage.
Round of 32
- Matches between two MLS clubs will be hosted by the group winner.
- Matches between two LIGA MX clubs will be hosted at a regional venue designated by the Organizing Committee.
Starting with Round of 16
- Matches between two MLS clubs will be hosted by the club with the better 2022 regular-season performance.
- Matches between two LIGA MX clubs will be hosted at a venue designated by the Organizing Committee.
Regional venues
The pool of regional venues for matches between two LIGA MX clubs during the knockout round are as follows:
- West
- BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, Calif.
- Dignity Health Sports Park - Carson, Calif.
- America First Field - Salt Lake City, Utah
- PayPal Park - San Jose, Calif.
- Central
- SeatGeek Stadium - Bridgeview, Ill.
- Toyota Stadium - Frisco, Texas
- DICK’S Sporting Goods Park - Commerce City, Colo.
- Shell Energy Stadium - Houston, Texas
- South
- Q2 Stadium - Austin, Texas
- Toyota Stadium - Frisco, Texas
- Exploria Stadium - Orlando, Fla.
- East
- Red Bull Arena - Harrison, N.J.
- Subaru Park - Chester, Pa.
- Audi Field - Washington, D.C.
Leagues Cup: Key information to know
- World Cup-style tournament held from July 21 to August 19
- All 47 combined MLS and LIGA MX teams compete annually, pausing their respective league seasons each summer
- 77 matches played across the US and Canada (hosted at MLS stadiums)
- Leagues Cup champion, as well as the second-place and third-place finishers, qualify for the Concacaf Champions League
- Every team will play two Group Stage matches in the Group Stage
- Top two teams from each group, as determined by points, advance to the single-elimination Knockout Stage
- No matches in the Leagues Cup Group Stage will end in a tie (decided by penalty shootout)
- Regulation win earns 3 points; PK shootout win earns 2 points; PK shootout loss earns 1 point
2023 Leagues Cup Tickets
Individual tickets will be available to fans via the hosting MLS club. MLS club season ticket holders should contact their club representative for more information.
*This excludes Leagues Cup for viewers in Mexico
