MLS vs Liga MX: Which league has won the Leagues Cup the most times?
The quarterfinal of the Leagues Cup begins tonight. Four teams from Liga MX take on four teams from the MLS, wit Monterrey and Chicago kicking things off.
The Leagues Cup kicks off the quarterfinal stage tonight, and the eight best teams from Liga MX and the MLS will be looking to advance to the final four of the intercontinental tournament. It’s the sixth edition of the competition, and the MLS will be looking to continue their streak of titles in the tournament.
Rivalry renewed
The competition began in 2019, and since the inauguration of the Leagues Cup there has been a tilting of the scales in the balance of power between the two leagues. Liga MX had the early strong hold on the Leagues Cup trophy, but since then MLS has won three in a row. There are eight teams left heading into the quarterfinals, four from Liga MX and four from the MLS.
The rivalry between the two neighboring countries is well known on the international stage. The USMNT and El Tri don’t like each other, and they demonstrate that each and every time they meet on the pitch. They are the two best countries in CONCACAF historically, and the Leagues Cup has only added fuel to the fire by bringing the rivalry to the club level.
Of the eight teams left in the tournament, two have won the title before. Leon won the second edition of the Leagues Cup in 2021, and the Columbus Crew won it in 2024. Cruz Azul were the inaugural champions in 2019, beating Tigers UANL. Leon beat the Seattle Sounders the next year, but since then, it has been only MLS sides in the Leagues Cup final. Inter Miami won the next edition in 2023, beating Nashville SC and then the Columbus Crew took down Los Angeles FC in 2024. Last year it was the Seattle Sounders blanking Leo Messi and Inter Miami 3-0 in the final.
Past champs looking to double down
While the competition is supposed to be an annual event, the tournament was canceled in 2020 due to COVID, and the 2022 edition had to be canceled when the World Cup in Qatar was moved to winter months. Despite some scheduling issues over the years, the Leagues Cup is growing in popularity with both MLS and Liga MX fans.
The format of the tournament has changed quite a bit over the last few years. The first Leagues Cups featured just four teams in a single elimination format. That changed after the 2022 Leagues Cup was canceled due to the winter World Cup. Since then, all 18 teams in both leagues have been included, and play a three game group stage before entering the knockout round.
We are now in the quarterfinals and we have two games tonight, and two games on Wednesday. Monterrey and Chicago will open the quarterfinal round from Bridgeview, Illinois at 8:30 p.m. ET before Leon take on Real Salt Lake at 10:30 p.m. ET from DSG Park in Utah. CONCACAF Champions Cup winners Toluca will play Austin tomorrow at 8:30 p.m. ET from Harrison, New Jersey and Club America play the Columbus Crew at 10:45 p.m. ET from Carson, California.
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