A one-of-a-kind soccer tournament awaits fans ahead of Leagues Cup 2023, which kicks off on July 21. Major League Soccerstadiums in the United States and Canada will play host to 77 games across a month of action. And here's the kicker: there are no draws.
Leagues Cup 2023 involves all 29 MLS teams as well as the 18 LIGA MX outfits in a World Cup-style tournament made up of groups which are divided into regions: East, West, South and Central, leading into a knockout stage to decide the champion.
During the group stage, every win in regulation time will be worth three points, and the losing team will leave empty-handed, as is usually the case. At Leagues Cup, though, a special rule comes into play should the two teams be level pegging come full-time. In this scenario, both sides will be awarded a point, but there will also be a penalty shoot-out, where the winner will be awarded an extra point. In other words, the winner on spot-kicks gets two points, and the loser has one.
Which teams won't play in the group stage?
Out of the 47 teams in action, two have been handed a bye through to the knockouts, and will not be involved in the group stage. These will be the 2022 MLS Cup winners Los Angeles FC, along with Club Pachuca, who racked up the most points in last year's LIGA MX campaign, across the Apertura and Clausura stages.
As a CONCACAF tournament, the three best-ranked teams at Leagues Cup 2023 will get a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League - where a chance at representing the region at the FIFA Club World Cup will be on the line.
