The 2023 Leagues Cup gets underway this summer, with Major League Soccer and Liga MX battling it out for regional dominance in North America.
Leagues Cup has only been around for a couple of years, with Mexican giants Cruz Azul and Leon picking up one title each so far, beating Tigres and the Seattle Sounders in their respective finals. The 2022 edition was a pure exhibition affair due to fixture congestion, showcasing what the tournament is capable of ahead of its full release this year.
So, just how does Leagues Cup work and how can you watch the tournament live? Read on to find out…
How to live stream Leagues Cup online
Fans can watch all games from the 2023 Leagues Cup live via Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass service.
When will the Leagues Cup take place?
The 2023 Leagues Cup will take place between the 21st July and the 19th August.
- Gameweek 1 (21st-23rd July)
- Gameweek 2 (25th-27th July)
- Gameweek 3 (29th-31st July)
- Round of 32 (2nd-4th August)
- Round of 16 (6th-8th August)
- Quarter-finals (11th-12th August)
- Semi-finals (15th August)
- Final (19th August)
What is the Leagues Cup format?
Leagues Cup will see every single team from MLS and Liga MX break off for a World Cup-style tournament with a group stage followed by five knockout rounds. Teams are divided into 15 groups of three with the top two in each progressing after two matches, with 2022 MLS Cup champions LAFC and Pachuca — who accumulated the most points from the 2022 Liga MX Clausura and Apertura tournaments combined — receiving byes into the knockout rounds.
From there, teams will compete through a standard knockout phase from the round-of-32 all the way down to the final, played on August 19 — the same day as the third-place playoff.
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2023 Leagues Cup groups
West
West 1
- Portland Timbers
- Tigres
- San Jose Earthquakes
West 2
- Real Salt Lake
- Monterrey
- Seattle Sounders
West 3
- LA Galaxy
- Leon
- Vancouver Whitecaps
Central
Central 1
- Columbus Crew
- Club America
- St. Louis CITY SC
Central 2
- Minnesota United
- Puebla
- Chicago Fire FC
Central 3
- FC Cincinnati
- Chivas
- Sporting Kansas City
Central 4
- Nashville SC
- Toluca
- Colorado Rapids
South
South 1
- Austin FC
- Mazatlan
- Juarez
South 2
- Orlando City
- Santos Laguna
- Houston Dynamo
South 3
- Inter Miami
- Cruz Azul
- Atlanta United
South 4
- FC Dallas
- Necaxa
- Charlotte FC
East
East 1
- Philadelphia Union
- Tijuana
- Queretaro
East 2
- CF Montreal
- Pumas
- DC United
East 3
- NYCFC
- Atlas
- Toronto FC
East 4
- New York Red Bulls
- Atletico San Luis
- New England Revolution
2023 Leagues Cup teams to watch
As Concacaf Champions League holders, the Seattle Sounders will be dangerous in Leagues Cup, while the likes of MLS Cup champions LAFC, Atlanta United — with World Cup-winner Thiago Almada — New England Revolution, NYCFC and newcomers St. Louis CITY SC have all shown strong form at the start of 2023. They’ll certainly fly the flag for MLS.
However, Liga MX has traditionally dominated in North America. The likes of Club America, Tigres and Monterrey are the giants, but Leon, Cruz Azul and Pachuca are also regulars in the latter stages of continental competitions and at the top of the Mexican standings.