The 2025 Leagues Cup is officially underway, pitting the top clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Mexico’s LIGA MX against each other in a month-long battle for North American soccer supremacy. Running from July 29 to August 31, this year’s tournament has introduced a radical new format designed to maximize cross-league competition and intensify the burgeoning rivalry.
Unlike previous editions, the 2025 tournament features a reduced field of 36 teams: all 18 LIGA MX clubs and the top 18 qualifying teams from the 2024 MLS season. The competition structure has been completely overhauled, eliminating the traditional group stage. Instead, the tournament is split into two phases. In “Phase One,” each club plays three matches against teams from the opposing league. A unique points system awards three points for a regulation win, two for a victory via penalty shootout, and one for a shootout loss, as there are no draws. Crucially, teams accumulate points on separate, league-specific tables. The top four clubs from the MLS table and the top four from the LIGA MX table will advance to an eight-team, single-elimination knockout bracket. This guarantees that all quarterfinal matchups will be MLS vs. LIGA MX contests. The stakes are high, as the top three finishers will earn berths in the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The opening matchdays have already delivered a host of thrilling encounters and shocking results. In one of the most stunning scorelines, the Seattle Sounders dismantled LIGA MX giants Cruz Azul with a dominant 7-0 victory. Elsewhere, the LA Galaxy secured a high-scoring 5-2 win over Club Tijuana, while defending 2024 Leagues Cup champions Columbus Crew began their title defense with a 2-2 draw against Toluca, ultimately falling 4-2 in the subsequent penalty shootout.
As expected, much of the spotlight has been on Inter Miami CF and its superstar captain, Lionel Messi. The 2023 champions opened their campaign with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Atlas FC, with Messi providing assists on both goals. However, the club has also been at the center of off-field news. Messi’s bodyguard, Yassine Cheuko, was suspended by the Leagues Cup Disciplinary Committee for the remainder of the tournament after he entered the field during a post-game confrontation with Atlas players on July 30, according to reports. To add to the drama, Messi himself exited Inter Miami’s second match against Club Necaxa in the 11th minute with an apparent injury, leaving his status for upcoming fixtures in question.
The tournament’s evolution has not been without criticism. The expanded format has been cited as a reason for increased schedule congestion, which led to a contentious proposal by MLS to withdraw its senior teams from the U.S. Open Cup, a move that was ultimately rejected by the U.S. Soccer Federation. Additionally, with all matches being hosted in the United States and Canada, some LIGA MX figures, such as Toluca coach Antonio Mohamed, have voiced concerns about fairness. Despite the controversies, the revamped Leagues Cup promises a compelling chapter in the cross-border rivalry, with the final set for August 31 to crown the champion of this new era of North American club competition.
