Black & Gold supporters, it’s almost time for the reigning champs to defend their title.
Leagues Cup returns in July, meaning we’re just over a month away from another dramatic campaign that, hopefully, ends – with hardware – at Lower.com Field on Aug. 31.
Will there be another dramatic comeback at home against Inter Miami CF? Can the Crew have an even more Massive final, which ended with two dramatic goals at the death. We’ll find out soon…
To help you get ready for Leagues Cup 2025, here’s a quick rundown on the competition, its new format and how you can secure a seat to see the Crew fight to become the first-ever club to win the trophy on back-to-back occasions.
What is Leagues Cup?
Leagues Cup pins Major League Soccer clubs against Liga MX sides to determine the best team in North America. Whereas Concacaf Champions Cup also features Central American teams and clubs from Caribbean islands, Leagues Cup is solely MLS and Liga MX competitors.
From July 29 to Aug. 31, teams will compete to win the title – and one of three spots in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. However, not every MLS club will participate.
What’s the new Leagues Cup format?
First off, not every MLS club qualified to compete in the tournament. While every Liga MX team will participate, only 18 MLS sides will – those who participated in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. (There’s one caveat: newcomers San Diego FC will replace Vancouver Whitecaps FC).
Like 2023 and 2024, there will still be a group stage and knockout round. Also, there are no draws. Any team that wins a match earns three points. If the match is tied after 90 minutes, there’s a penalty shootout. The shootout winner earns two points, while the loser settles for one.
So, let’s get into the tournament’s structure – aka, Phase One and the knockout stage.
Leagues Cup Phase One
The group stage is called Phase One, and runs July 27-August 7. Clubs are divded into 18-team Eastern and Western regions. There are then three Tiers: Tier I (the top six), Tier 2 (the next six) and Tier 3 (the bottom six).
The Columbus Crew are a Tier 1 club, as are Inter Miami CF, Toluca FC, CF Monterrey, FC Cincinnati and Pumas. There are three MLS teams and three Liga MX teams per tier.
Each team will play three group-stage matches against opponents from the opposite league within their set. So, the Black & Gold will play three Liga MX teams – not MLS club in the group stage.
Here’s the Crew’s 2025 Leagues Cup group stage schedule:
- July 29: Crew vs. Toluca (at Lower.com Field)
- August 1: Crew vs. Puebla (at Lower.com Field)
- August 5: Crew vs. León (at Lower.com Field)
However, while the Crew will play Mexican clubs, the results of those matches will dictate where Columbus sits in an MLS-only table. The top four clubs from both the MLS and Liga MX tables will advance to the knockout stage
Knockout stage
As mentioned above, the top four MLS teams and top four Liga MX teams will play in an eight-team knockout stage. Note: The top four MLS teams includes all MLS teams in this year's competition and is not broken down by region.
Here’s the format for the final eight clubs competing in Leagues Cup 2025:
- QF1 – MLS 1 vs. Liga MX 4
- QF2 – MLS 2 vs. Liga MX 3
- QF3 – MLS 3 vs. Liga MX 2
- QF4 – MLS 4 vs. Liga MX 1
From there, the semifinals are QF1 vs. QF3 and QF2 vs. QF4. The semis mark the first opportunity for two MLS clubs or two Liga MX clubs to potentially face one another. From there, the winners will meet in the Leagues Cup Final, while the losers play in a Third Place Match.
The Leagues Cup champion, runner-up and third-place team will all qualify for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Crew Tickets for Leagues Cup 2025
Ticket information will be availble soon to catch the defending champs in group stage action. Click here for more information.
