Major League Soccer and Liga MX jointly announced on Tuesday that the two organizations will be looking to launch a completely new Leagues Cup in 2023, with every team from both leagues taking part. All 47 teams, 29 MLS sides and 18 Liga MX clubs, will pause their regular season activities for one month in order to partake in this new tournament.
The Leagues Cup will consist of a group stage, followed by the knockout rounds. While many of the details of this tournament remain to be nailed down, it will provide participants with substantial sums of prize money.
With Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup, both the MLS and Liga MX would like to raise their own profiles along with the popularity for the sport of soccer. The Leagues Cup is expected to play a large role in this endeavor and the tournament has been approved of by CONCACAF.
In an interview with ESPN, MLS Commissioner Don Garber explained how the organization has been searching for methods to capture the interest of the U.S. and Mexico’s population. He declared that the Leagues Cup is the ideal solution.
“Our confederation recognizes that increasing the interest and value of club competition between our two leagues is only going to help the sport grow in this region. And that’s an important priority for all soccer stakeholders in North America as we lead up to the World Cup in 2026,” Garber explained.
