What is the Leagues Cup?
The Leagues Cup enters its fourth year in 2026, looking to build off a historic 2025 tournament. 36 MLS and LIGA MX teams will compete, including all 18 Liga MX teams and 18 qualifying MLS teams. The top nine teams in each MLS Conference (Eastern Conference and Western Conference) who participated in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs qualified for this year’s edition.
In the group stage, Orlando City will play C.F. Monterrey on Wednesday, Aug. 5 (7:30 p.m. ET), Club León on Saturday, Aug. 8 (6:30 p.m. ET)  and Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday, Aug. 12 (7:30 p.m. ET) with all three games hosted at Inter&Co Stadium.
The tournament lasts from August 4 - September 6, 2026.
What's the format?
For the second consecutive year, Leagues Cup will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Rounds. Phase One will feature three consecutive match dates per club to be played between August 4 - 13, and all 54 Phase One matches will be played between MLS and LIGA MX clubs.
The MLS and LIGA MX regular seasons will continue play through the month of August and September, with most Leagues Cup knockout matches played midweek.
Quarterfinals: Schedule for August 25–27Â
Semifinals: Scheduled for September 1–2Â
Final & Third-Place Match: September 6
How does the tournament play out?
Each club will play three matches against the three opponents from the opposite league within their set. Leagues Cup Phase One matches are determined by the Leagues Cup Ranking, as well as by region.
While competing on the field against teams from the opposite league, MLS and LMX teams will be competing in a league-specific table against the teams from their own league. Clubs will earn points within their league-specific tables. For example, an MLS club's win earns points in the Leagues Cup MLS table, while a LIGA MX win contributes to the Leagues Cup LIGA MX table.
The top four clubs from each league table (MLS and LIGA MX) advance directly to the Knockout Rounds. Quarterfinal pairings are seeded based on Phase One performance and follow a fixed bracket structure.
