Columbus Crew tops CONCACAF Club Rankings: how many MLS teams are in the top 10?

Columbus Crew will head into the final of the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Pachuca on 1 June as the top-ranked club team in North America, Central America and the Caribbean, it was confirmed on Tuesday.

Liga MX’s dominance of the CONCACAF Champions Cup

The MLS side will be looking to further disrupt Mexican dominance of the competition, following in the footsteps of Seattle Sounders two years ago. Liga MX clubs have won 17 of the last 18 editions, with DC United (1998) and LA Galaxy (2000) the only other American victors.

Should The Black and Gold emerge triumphant, they will become the second MLS team, along with the Sounders, to qualify for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to be played on US soil next year.

Columbus Crew post big wins over Monterrey and Tigres

The Crew climbed four places in the latest rankings after defeating Monterrey in the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals, having knocked out Tigres in the previous round. Both Liga MX clubs could have been in with a chance of top spot instead had they continued in the competition.

Wilfried Nancy’s team also benefited from Club América’s last-four exit at the hands of Pachuca. Las Águilas only needed to progress to the final to take over as CONCACAF number one from Rayados.

Los Tuzos’ win saw them move up into to second spot and swap places with América, who drop to third.

When did the Crew first enter the top 10?

Columbus Crew only entered the top 10 of the CONCACAF Club Ranking for the first time in December 2023, shortly after defeating LAFC to win last year’s MLS Cup.

In the space of five months, the Ohio team has gradually worked its way further up, spending time in eighth spot and then sixth following their victory over Houston Dynamo in the round of 16.

Only Columbus Crew and Philadelphia Union make the top 10 from MLS

Their win against Tigres in the quarter-finals bumped them up a place to fifth, with their continued success in the competition moving them to the top of the tree, ahead of seven Mexican clubs.

Although the Crew head the rankings, the top 10 is still dominated by Liga MX, whose clubs fill eight spots. The only other MLS team that appears is Philadelphia Union, who are ninth but have dropped a place at the expense of Pumas.

The 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup final between Pachuca and Columbus Crew will be played between at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca. The Mexican side will host the game due to their better overall record in this year’s competition.