2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup draw: format, pots, teams, and how it works

The footballing activities of 2023 are coming to a close in the major CONCACAF leagues. Just this past weekend, an exciting MLS final took place, with Columbus Crew clinching the title and securing their spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The draw for this continental tournament is set for Wednesday 13 December, and will determine the matchups for the first round and the key pairings that will shape the journey of the 27 teams towards the coveted final.

CONCACAF Champions Cup draw explained

With the CONCACAF Champions Cup draw, the North American Confederation practically concludes its activities for 2023 and gears up for an exciting 2024 with various competitions, including the Champions Cup itself, the Nations League, the Women’s Gold Cup, and its participation as a guest with six teams in the 2024 Copa América in the United States.

Prior to the CONCACAF Champions Cup draw, the composition of the pots was revealed, along with the teams that are officially in the round of 16. Inter Miami and Columbus Crew, MLS teams, earned the right to start directly in the round of 16 by winning the Leagues Cup and MLS, respectively. Similarly, Pachuca, Alajuelense, and Robinhood have already secured their places among the top 16 as champions of Liga MX, the Central American Cup, and the Caribbean Cup, respectively.

CONCACAF announces seeds for the first round

The initial stage, featuring 22 teams, has identified three clubs that have earned the right to be designated as seeded teams, based on sporting merit. These teams are Club América (Mexico A3), Tigres (Mexico A7), and Monterrey (Mexico A9). They have been assigned specific matchups and will discover their opponents in Wednesday’s draw.

How the pots are made up for the CONCACAF Champions Cup draw

The draw will consist of four pots, with the first two pots containing the 19 teams not pre-assigned as seeds. These teams will be drawn according to the order determined by pots A and B, indicating which group each team will be placed in.

Pot 1 - 8 best-ranked clubs in CONCACAF

Philadelphia Union, Toluca, Guadalajara, Orlando City, Nashville, Cincinnati, New England Revolution, Houston Dynamo.

Pot 2 - 11 lowest-ranked clubs in CONCACAF

Vancouver Whitecaps, Saprissa, St. Louis City, Herediano, Comunicaciones, CA Independiente, Cavalry FC, Forge FC, Real Estelí, Moca FC and Cavalier FC.

Pot A

A1, A2, A4, A5, A6, A8, A10, A11

Pot B

B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B10, B11