The Swiss Model has drastically shaken up the UEFA Champions League, and the Leagues Cup may be able to learn something from it. For reference, the Swiss Model eliminated the traditional group-stage games in the UEFA Champions League. Rather than eight groups of four teams playing each other twice, there is one connected league. Thirty-six […]

Since the start of the 2024 soccer calendar, players and fans have fought the crisis of a bloated schedule. A club like Manchester City will effectively play a nonstop schedule in 2024/25. That includes the Premier League, two domestic cups (FA Cup and League Cup), UEFA Champions League, FA Community Shield, and friendlies across the […]

Repeating the drama of last summer's Leagues Cup was always going to be a tall order. Messi Mania took over almost immediately and lasted the whole tournament as Inter Miami won the trophy. For this year's Leagues Cup, things were far different. Messi missed the whole tournament due to injury. Except for Club América, most […]

It was a stunning sight that unfolded on Saturday at Lumen Field. No, not the Seattle Sounders getting picked apart by LAFC. That’s become commonplace by now. However, the empty seats of fans aren’t regularly associated with one of the best-supported fanbases in MLS. It appears that MLS fans and the Leagues Cup do not […]

What a difference a year makes. Last summer, Lionel Messi's debut against Cruz Azul drew 1.75 million viewers on Univision. That was followed up by 1.45 million, who watched Inter Miami win the Leagues Cup Final on TUDN. Fast forward to the summer of 2024, and Leagues Cup viewership has been a major disappointment. To […]

A year ago, Lionel Messi's arrival in Major League Soccer created a frenzy that was nothing short of extraordinary. The "Messi Effect" saw ticket prices skyrocket to unprecedented levels; fans clamored for a chance to witness one of the greatest players compete on American soil. The anticipation was palpable, especially as Messi led Inter Miami […]

This past weekend, Dean Smith, the head coach of Charlotte FC, led his side into a Leagues Cup group-stage game against the Philadelphia Union. It was both teams' first fixture in the 2024 Leagues Cup, the competition pitting all MLS and Liga MX teams in one tournament. Philadelphia's Tai Baribo scored the only goal of […]

With over $40 million in prizes, the 2024 Leagues Cup is the most lucrative club competition sanctioned by Concacaf, one of the six continental governing bodies for association football under the FIFA banner. Part of the Leagues Cup's allure is its three qualification spots for Concacaf Champions Cup and the further opportunity to earn a […]

Lionel Messi may have lifted a second Copa America trophy on Sunday evening, but it came at the cost of a serious injury. A challenge toward the end of the first half looked minuscule. Yet, replays showed a Colombian defender collided with Messi's right ankle to block a cross. While Messi tried to continue, he […]

A recent advertorial in AdAge describes the Leagues Cup as the "soul of North American Soccer" ahead of the 2024 Leagues Cup. Certainly, the organizers of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a competition that was originally established in 1962, may have a bone to pick with that story. The article, paid for and approved by Soccer […]

Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to climb up the list of the best leagues in the world, largely as a credit to success in the Leagues Cup. In August 2023, British sports analytics company Opta ranked MLS the 29th strongest division in the world of soccer. By the fall, MLS halved that ranking to reach […]

Apple is ready for another busy season of Major League Soccer on MLS Season Pass in 2024, and that includes the second edition of the Leagues Cup. The competition involves every team in Major League Soccer and Liga MX. Played fully in MLS venues in the United States, the revolutionary competition made headway last year. […]

Lionel Messi is playing his first full season in Major League Soccer with Inter Miami in 2024. In full, that means Messi will play in MLS, the US Open Cup, the Leagues Cup, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. That sounds like a dream for broadcasters in the United States who have the rights to Inter […]

Victor Orta, the director of football for Sevilla, sees a Leagues Cup format competition between LaLiga and the Premier League as a real possibility. It would not be the exact same as what Major League Soccer and Liga MX did in 2023. However, it would feature each team in the Spanish top flight and the […]