Not just titles: How Mexico dominates the U.S. in the CONCACAF Champions Cup
Since the Champions Cup was established in the 1960s, Liga MX has been the dominant force in CONCACAF’s elite club competition.
This week, the CONCACAF Champions Cup returns, kicking off the first legs of the quarterfinals. Four Liga MX clubs remain alive in North America’s premier continental competition.
Mexicans the CONCACAF kings
Mexican soccer - having lost just two finals in the past 20 years - continues to dominate CONCACAF by nearly every statistical measure. Liga MX is home to the two most successful clubs in the history of the tournament.
Club América and Cruz Azul are the most decorated sides in the competition, with seven titles apiece. These two Mexican giants have also appeared in more finals than any other clubs in CONCACAF history: América has played eight finals, while Cruz Azul has reached nine.
There are two other clubs that have won multiple CONCACAF Champions Cups and remain perfect in finals. Pachuca has reached six finals and Monterrey five, and both sides have won every single championship match they have contested.
In the top ten most successful clubs in tournament history, four teams are not Mexican: Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), SV Transvaal (Suriname), LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica), and Defence Force FC (Trinidad and Tobago). Together, those four clubs account for nine combined titles.
Overall, Liga MX teams have played 60 finals in the history of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The next most prolific nation is Costa Rica, whose clubs have appeared in 12 championship matches.
Teams from Major League Soccer have reached just 11 CONCACAF finals, winning three and losing eight - all eight defeats coming against Liga MX opposition.
The only clubs to defeat Mexican teams in a CONCACAF final are D.C. United and the Seattle Sounders, who did so in 1998 and 2022, respectively. D.C. United beat Toluca, while Seattle defeated Pumas. The LA Galaxy captured the 2000 title by defeating Club Olimpia Deportivo of Honduras.
América dominates the region
The club with the most matches played, the most wins, the most goals scored, and the highest single-edition goal total in CONCACAF Champions Cup history is Club América.
Las Águilas have played 87 matches, won 50, and scored 176 goals across all their appearances, including an astonishing 35 goals during the 2014-15 tournament alone.
Two clubs have managed to take away historical records from América. Hondurans Olimpia hold the records for most tournament appearances (38 editions played) and most goals conceded in a single tournament (27).
Cruz Azul is the only other club to strip América of a historic mark. The all-time leading scorer in the CONCACAF Champions Cup is Javier “Chuletita” Orozco, with 25 goals - 24 scored with La Máquina and one with Santos Laguna.
Who’s playing in the Champions Cup this week?
CONCACAF Champions Cup action resumes on Tuesday, as the competition enters the quarterfinal first legs, bringing North America’s top club tournament back into the spotlight.
Tuesday, April 7:
- 8:00 p.m. ET: Nashville SC vs Club América
- 10:00 p.m. ET: Los Angeles FC vs Cruz Azul
Wednesday, April 8:
- 9:00 p.m. ET: Tigres vs Seattle Sounders
- 11:00 p.m. ET: Toluca vs LA Galaxy
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