Major League Soccer and Liga MX announced details of the League Cup. The interleague tournament debuts next summer with the participation of the 47 teams from the two competitions. Therefore, fans in Mexico and the United States discover the best team between the two.
Like the World Cup, the League Cup features a group stage. Then, there are two knockout rounds. Two teams, one from MLS and one from Liga MX, receive a bye and skip the group stage.
The reigning MLS Cup champion will receive one bye, while the Mexican club with the most combined points between Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022 will get the other.
Group stage placement for MLS teams comes from the 2022 Supporters’ Shield rankings. The top 15 MLS clubs will be placed in groups based on ranking and region. These teams will also host two group stage matches.
Similarly, Liga MX teams will also have their top 15 teams based on final Clausura and Apertura standings. The 15th ranked Liga MX team will be placed in a group with the number one MLS team and so on.
The remaining 13 teams will be divided into groups based on geographic regions. These clubs only host one match per group stage.
Details of the League Cup 2023
No game ends in a tie in the tournament. Group stage teams each receive one point if the match is level after 90 minutes. However, games that finish tied after 90 minutes go to penalty shootouts. The winner of the penalties receives an additional point.
Since two teams from each group qualify for the next phase, the knockout round will start with 32 teams. There will be a single elimination stage until the tournament is complete. The top three finishers in the League Cup will also automatically qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.
The tournament will take place from July 21 to August 19 next summer. Because Apple and MLS have partnered, all games will be streamed on the AppleTV app.
PHOTO: IMAGO / Icon Sportswire
