Eight teams chase three Champions Cup places via Leagues Cup | OneFootball

The 2026 Leagues Cup quarter-finals are set, with eight clubs from MLS and Liga MX chasing three CONCACAF Champions Cup places. The competition has drawn criticism, with earlier editions played exclusively at MLS venues and MLS limiting its US Open Cup involvement to 12 of 30 clubs.

According to interheron.com, the three-match Phase One eliminated 28 of 36 sides, leaving four from each league: Chicago Fire, Austin FC, Columbus Crew and Real Salt Lake, plus Club León, Club América, Toluca FC and CF Monterrey.

Quarter-finals are scheduled as follows. Chicago Fire v CF Monterrey, 7:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, Bridgeview, Ill. Club León v Real Salt Lake, 9:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday, Commerce City, Colo. Austin FC v Toluca FC, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Harrison, N.J. Club América v Columbus Crew, 9:45 p.m. CDT Wednesday.

Inter Miami, who prioritised the Champions Cup after lifting their first MLS Cup, failed to reach the 2026 Leagues Cup knockouts and have not qualified for 2027. In Phase One they lost 1-2 to Monterrey and 2-3 to León.

They must now qualify via the Supporters' Shield, the MLS Cup or by finishing first in the Eastern Conference to reach CONCACAF next year. They trail Nashville SC by two points in the Supporters' Shield and Eastern Conference standings ahead of tonight's match in Tennessee.

Source: interheron.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”