Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX announced the format and groups of the Leagues Cup 2024, the second edition of the competition in which 47 clubs from Canada, Mexico and the United States participate.
Now clubs are looking to travel much less, which was the cause of complaints in the first edition of the event.
The tournament will crown a winner between MLS and Liga MX clubs and will run from July 26 to August 25, 2024.
Leagues Cup 2024 will be played in the United States and Canada, the tournament will provide the top three teams with places for the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2025.
Starting this year, the tournament will have a points ranking system, with the highest-ranked clubs in Liga MX being rewarded with home-field privileges.
The Leagues Cup standings will be based strictly on the combined performance of MLS and Liga MX clubs over the final 34 games of the regular season. MLS teams will be ranked based on their position in the 2023 MLS Supporters’ Shield, while Mexican clubs will be ranked based on their 34 games accumulated in the 2023 Apertura and Clausura.
The Liga MX champion and the three highest-ranked clubs will have home privileges. The privileges will range from minimizing club travel, playing in predetermined venues such as the home team, based on the Leagues Cup Table.
Club América (League champion) will have home privileges until the semifinals, Monterrey (No. 1 in the ranking) until the quarterfinals, Chivas (No. 4 in the ranking) until the round of 32 and Tigres (No. 6 ranking) throughout the Group Stage, rewarding clubs according to their performance in the regular season.
Liga MX clubs with home-field privileges will play at venues to be announced alongside the 2024 Leagues Cup schedule at a later time.
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The Leagues Cup groups for the 2024 season. PHOTO: SPECIAL
After the group stage, the 30 teams that advance will join the top clubs in MLS and Liga MX (Columbus Crew and Club América, respectively) and will be placed in a fixed group to compete in the knockout rounds that They begin with the round of 32 (16 matches).
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Leagues Cup will maintain its current format without ties. Each team receives a point if the match is tied after 90 minutes. The winner of the next penalty shootout will earn an additional point. Regulation victories count as three points, and matches are decided by penalty in the event of a tie in regulation time.