Jon Arnold
The Leagues Cup schedule is out. Let the planning begin. A tournament built on rivalry but also in accessibility, providing legions of fans the chance to see their favorite team in their cities, the tournament once again has exciting home fixtures for MLS fans and brings the top Mexican teams into stadiums in the U.S. and Canada with everyone competing for the two-bowl trophy and the opportunity to qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
In the new Leagues Cup format, teams are much more likely to see opponents they've become accustomed to facing - or a team they have past history with and can renew a rivalry. Let’s take a look at some of the reunions on tap and the matchups fans will be circling on the calendar as games they can’t miss.
In Eastern 1, Maxi Moralez and New York City FC will look to replicate 2024 when they got past Tigres in knockout play. This time, they meet Moralez’s former Club León squad in Phase One. The group also includes the reigning champion Columbus Crew. Remember, MLS teams will play only against Liga MX teams (and, of course, vice versa) in this phase - and again in the quarterfinals, with the Crew hoping to finish as one of the top four MLS teams during Phase One so they can move into the knockout stage and defend their title. Their path sees them face Toluca on July 29, Leagues Cup opening night, then welcome James Rodriguez and León to Lower.com Field before closing things out against Puebla on Aug. 5.
Another possible reunion will come in Eastern 2, with Atlas manager Gonzalo Pineda returning to meet Atlanta United, the club he coached before moving to Liga MX. Ronny Deila now leads the Five Stripes, who will look to advance to the knockout stage for the first time.
After lifting the trophy in his first tournament, Lionel Messi and Inter Miami fell short in 2024. This year brings showdowns with Pineda’s Atlas on July 30, with Necaxa on Aug. 2 and against Liga MX grande Pumas on Aug.. 6
In the third Eastern Group, Chivas will be glad that Brandon Vazquez is no longer with FC Cincinnati. The current Austin FC forward netted a hat trick in the teams’ 2023 Leagues Cup meeting, which the MLS team won 3-1. The Guadalajara side still will have plenty of stiff competition, returning to Cincinnati on Aug. 7 after tilts with the New York Red Bulls on July 31 and Charlotte FC on Aug. 3.
Out West, there are plenty of rematches from CCC and Leagues Cup to go around. In Western 1, Tigres and LAFC meet again after their 2020 CCC final (and 2023 Campeons Cup). Tigres also return to Houston, where the Nuevo León club has a huge fan base that watched them top Messi and Inter Miami at NRG Stadium in last year’s Leagues Cup. This time around, Tigres face the hometown Houston Dynamo on opening night July 29 and also meet San Diego FC.
Speaking of San Diego FC, the expansion side will be entering its first-ever international tournament when the Leagues Cup whistle blows, and the team has a big reunion of its own on July 29. SDFC star Hirving Lozano will once again see Pachuca, the club that launched him to stardom. A game with 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinalists Mazatlán closes out Phase One for the new team on the block.
Another 2024 Leagues Cup quarterfinalist, Club América, has made frequent trips to the U.S., playing friendly matches in addition to Leagues Cup and CCC contests. Las Aguilas land in Western 2 with Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United and the Portland Timbers in Phase One of the competition. Leagues Cup is one of few trophies currently missing from their trophy case, so manager Andre Jardine will have his team looking for another long run in the competition.
And in Western 3 it’s reigning MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy renewing a regional rivalry of their own, meeting Club Tijuana in official action for the first time in more than a decade. The teams met in a 2013-14 CCC quarterfinal, and while they’ve had friendlies since then this will be the first matchup with anything on the line. A visit from Liga MX grande Cruz Azul also should draw plenty of attention, while the Rapids will be eager to defend their reputation as a team that can take down Liga MX clubs.
The schedule shows that we’ll see a number of top Liga MX vs. MLS contests that only intensify the rivalry between the leagues and their clubs. And that’s before the all-Liga MX vs. MLS win-or-go-home showdowns that await in the quarterfinals.
Get the games on your calendar now. The matchups show fans have a lot to look forward to this summer.
