The Leagues Cup — the 36-team tournament featuring select clubs from Major League Soccer and Mexico's Liga MX — is back and will kick off with six games on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
While previous incarnations of Leagues Cup would feature every club from MLS and Liga LX, a new format was introduced in 2025 that featured an even number of clubs representing each league (18). There's plenty at stake in the tournament, with the top three finishers qualifying for next year's Concacaf Champions Cup tournament.
The Seattle Sounders are the defending Leagues Cup champions, having won the 2025 tournament final over Inter Miami. The Columbus Crew won the 2024 Leagues Cup, while Inter Miami won the 2023 edition in Lionel Messi's first season with the team.
Here is
everything you need to know to follow the 2026 Leagues Cup tournament:
Where will Leagues Cup be broadcast?
All 62 Leagues Cup matches will be streamed live on Apple TV. FOX will broadcast 10 Phase One matches. Univision will provide Spanish-language broadcasts of 10 Phase One matches.
Watch select Leagues Cup matches on Fubo
What are the 2026 Leagues Cup teams?
MLS
- Austin FC
- Charlotte FC
- Chicago Fire
- Columbus Crew
- Dallas FC
- FC Cincinnati
- Inter Miami
- Los Angeles FC
- Minnesota United
- New York City FC
- Nashville SC
- Orlando City SC
- Philadelphia Union
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Diego FC
- Seattle Sounders
- Vancouver Whitecaps
Liga MX
- Atlante
- Atlas
- Atlético San Luis
- CF Monterrey
- Chivas de Guadalajara
- Club América
- Club León
- Club Puebla
- Club Tijuana
- Cruz Azul
- FC Juárez
- Necaxa
- Pachuca
- Pumas UNAM
- Querétaro
- Santos Laguna
- Tigres UANL
- Toluca
Leagues Cup format
While all 18 Liga MX clubs compete in Leagues Cup, not every team from Major League Soccer participates in the tournament, with the 18 teams that reached the 2025 playoffs qualifying for the 2026 Leagues Cup tournament.
With an even number of teams from each league, it means that each "Phase One" match will feature direct MLS vs. Liga MX matchups. Despite playing against teams from the opposing league, MLS and Liga MX clubs will be in league-specific tables.
There are no draws, with games tied after regulation going straight to a penalty shootout (3 points for win, 2 for penalty shootout win, 1 for penalty shootout loss). The top four clubs from each Leagues Cup league-specific table advances to the knockout rounds. The quarterfinal matchups will be determined by a team's place in the top four of their respective league's table: MLS 1 vs. Liga MX 4, MLS 2 vs. Liga MX 3, MLS 3 vs. Liga MX 2, MLS 4 vs. Liga MX 1.
Three Concacaf Champions Cup spots will be rewarded. The winner of the third-place match, as well as the Leagues Cup finalists, automatically qualify for next year's Concacaf Champions Cup competition. The Leagues Cup champion will qualify directed to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
Ten of the 12 MLS teams not competing in the 2026 Leagues Cup will have a short break until Aug. 15 (the Houston Dynamo and New England Revolution have a match on Aug. 8).
What is the 2026 Leagues Cup schedule?
(Games on broadcast TV are noted below.)
PHASE ONE
Tuesday, Aug. 4
- Columbus Crew vs. Atlas (ScottsMiracle-Gro Field), 7:45 p.m. ET (FOX)
- FC Cincinnati vs. Pachuca (TQL Stadium), 7:45 p.m. ET
- Charlotte FC vs. Pumas (Bank of America Stadium) 8 p.m. ET
- Minnesota United vs. Juárez (Alliaz Field), 8:30 p.m. ET
- Tigres vs. Real Salt Lake (America First Field), 10 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Atlante (BC Place), 10:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Aug. 5
- Inter Miami vs. Atlético de San Luis (Nu Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Monterrey vs. Orlando City (Inter.co Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Nashville SC vs. León (GEODIS Park), 8:30 p.m. ET
- FC Dallas vs. Querétaro (Mansfield Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
- Toluca vs. Seattle Sounders (Estadio Nemesio Diez), 10 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Los Angeles FC vs. Chivas de Guadalajara (BMO Stadium), 10 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 6
- New York City FC vs. Santos Laguna (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Cruz Azul vs. Philadelphia Union (Subaru Park), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Chicago Fire vs. Necaxa (SeatGeek Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
- Austin FC vs. Tijuana (Q2 Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
- Club América vs. San Diego FC (Estadio Banorte), 10 p.m. ET
- Portland Timbers vs. Puebla (Providence Park), 10:30 p.m. ET
Friday, Aug. 7
- FC Cincinnati vs. Pumas (TQL Stadium), 8 p.m. ET (Univision)
- Tigres vs. Minnesota United (Allianz Field), 9 p.m. ET
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Juárez (BC Place), 10:30 p.m. ET
Saturday, Aug. 8
- Orlando City vs. León (Inter.co Stadium), 6:30 p.m. ET
- Inter Miami vs. Monterrey (Nu Stadium), 8 p.m. ET
- Chivas de Guadalajara vs. FC Dallas (Paypal Park), 9 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Real Salt Lake vs. Atlante (America First Field), 10 p.m. ET
- Toluca vs. Los Angeles FC (BMO Stadium), 11:10 p.m. ET
Sunday, Aug. 9
- Seattle Sounders vs. Querétaro (Lumen Field), 3:30 p.m. ET
- Philadelphia Union vs. Necaxa (Subaru Field), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Cruz Azul vs. New York City FC (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Chicago Fire vs. Santos Laguna (SeatGeek Stadium), 8 p.m. ET
- Nashville SC vs. Atlético de San Luis (GEODIS Park), 8 p.m. ET
- Austin FC vs. Puebla (Q2 Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
- San Diego FC vs. Tijuana (Snapdragon Stadium), 10 p.m. ET
- Club América vs. Portland Timbers (Providence Park), 10:15 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
Tuesday, Aug. 11
- Charlotte FC vs. Pachuca (Bank of America Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- FC Cincinnati vs. Atlas (TQL Stadium), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Minnesota United vs. Atlante (Allianz Field), 8:30 p.m. ET
- Real Salt Lake vs. Juárez (America First Field), 9:30 p.m. ET
- Tigres vs. Vancouver Whitecaps (Estadio Universitario), 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, Aug. 12
- Orlando City vs. Atlético de San Luis (Inter.co Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Inter Miami vs. León (Nu Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Monterrey vs. Nashville SC (GEODIS Park), 8 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
- Toluca vs. FC Dallas (Estadio Nemesio Diez), 10 p.m. ET
- San Diego FC vs. Puebla (Snapdragon Stadium), 10:15 p.m. ET
- Los Angeles FC vs. Querétaro (BMO Stadium), 10:30 p.m. ET
- Seattle Sounders vs. Chivas de Guadalajara (Lumen Field), 10:30 p.m. ET
Thursday, Aug. 13
- Philadelphia Union vs. Santos Laguna (Subaru Park), 7 p.m. ET
- New York City FC vs. Necaxa (Sports Illustrated Stadium), 7:30 p.m. ET
- Club América vs. Austin FC (Q2 Stadium), 8:30 p.m. ET
- Cruz Azul vs. Chicago Fire (SeatGeek Stadium), 9 p.m. ET
- Portland Timbers vs. Tijuana (Providence Park), 10:30 p.m. ET (FOX, Univision)
QUARTERFINALS
Tuesday, Aug. 25-Thursday, Aug. 27
SEMIFNALS
Tuesday, Sept. 1-Wednesday, Sept. 2
THIRD-PLACE MATCH
Sunday, Sept. 6
FINAL
Sunday, Sept. 6
Previous Leagues Cup winners
- 2025: Seattle Sounders (over Inter Miami)
- 2024: Columbus Crew (over Los Angeles FC)
- 2023: Inter Miami CF (over Nashville SC)
- 2021: Club León (over Seattle Sounders FC)
- 2019: Cruz Azul (over Tigres UANL)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Leagues Cup 2026: Schedule, TV and live stream info, teams for MLS vs. Liga MX tournament
