Twenty-five clubs confirmed for 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup | OneFootball

Twenty-five clubs confirmed for 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup

Miami, FL – The field for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup continues to fill, with Canadian club Cavalry FC becoming the latest club to book its place in the continental tournament.

The 60th edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, which will feature the best clubs in the region, is scheduled to be played between February and June 2025. In addition to crowning the Confederation’s club champion, the Concacaf Champions Cup is the sole path through which clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean can qualify for the expanded 32-club FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup will continue to be played in a five-round direct elimination knockout stage format. The first four rounds—Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals—all include home and away play, while the Final is played as a single-leg match.

Of the 27 participating clubs, 22 will begin play in Round One, and five will receive a bye to the Round of 16. Details on the twenty clubs that have thus far qualified and the six berths still open are available below.

The current Concacaf Champions Cup champion is Mexico’s CF Pachuca, who defeated Columbus Crew (USA) in an epic 2024 sold-out Final at Estadio Hidalgo. The six-time Champions Cup winners joined Club Leon (2023), Seattle Sounders FC (2022), and CF Monterrey (2021) as Concacaf’s four representatives in next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

CF Pachuca will also participate in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, beginning with the FIFA Derby of the Americas on December 11 against the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champion. Should they advance, they will compete for the FIFA Challenger Cup and a place in the Final on December 14. The Final between Real Madrid (2023-24 UEFA Champions League champion) and the winner of the FIFA Challenger Cup is scheduled for December 18.

HOW CLUBS QUALIFY FOR THE CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP

Clubs qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via the Leagues Cup (North America), Concacaf Central American Cup, and Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as well as domestic leagues and cups in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Thus far, twenty-five clubs have qualified through regional cups or domestic leagues for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, and only two more qualification slots are available (explained below).

Club America (MEX)*

No club holds more titles in the Concacaf region than Club America, with seven. Winners of the Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 titles, Las Águilas qualified by virtue of their first league title during the 2023-24 calendar year.

Tigres UANL (MEX)

Tigres qualified for the Champions Cup as the Liga MX Apertura 2023 runner-up. The club will appear for a twelfth time and attempt to win their first title since 2020.

Cruz Azul (MEX)

Cruz Azul secured their place as the Liga MX Clausura 2024 runner-up. The club from Mexico City is the second side with the most Concacaf titles (six: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997, and 2014).

CF Monterrey (MEX)

The five-time Champions Cup champions return to the tournament for the thirteenth time after securing a berth as the highest-ranked side in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table.

CD Guadalajara (MEX)

Chivas returns to the Champions Cup as the next-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table. This will be their second appearance since the club’s title conquest in 2018. They were also the champions of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1962.

Pumas UNAM (MEX)

The three-time Champions Cup winners (1980, 1982, 1989) will make their sixth appearance and first since finishing runners-up in 2022. They qualified as the third-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table.

Colorado Rapids (USA)

The Colorado Rapids have qualified by winning the third-place match in the 2024 Leagues Cup. It will be their fifth appearance in the tournament.

Columbus Crew (USA)*

The 2024 Champions Cup runners-up will return for a consecutive edition after winning the 2024 Leagues Cup. It will be their sixth appearance in the tournament.

Los Angeles FC (USA)**

The 2020 and 2023 runners-up have qualified as 2024 Leagues Cup runners-up. This will be LAFC’s third appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Sporting Kansas City (USA)

Sporting Kansas City has qualified as a finalist for the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, given that the other finalist, LAFC, has already qualified and cannot use the champion’s automatic berth. This will be SKC’s seventh appearance and the first since it reached the semifinals in 2019.

Inter Miami CF (USA)**

Inter Miami qualified by 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield. This will be the club's second appearance after it debuted in 2023, when it reached the quarterfinals.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN)**

Vancouver Whitecaps qualified by winning the 2024 Canadian Championship. The club returns for a third consecutive edition and fifth overall. Its best finish was reaching the semifinals in 2016–17.

Antigua GFC (GUA)

Antigua GFC qualified by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. This will be the club's second appearance after it debuted in 2016–17 as a league champion.

Real Estelí (NCA)**

Real Estelí qualified by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. The Nicaraguan side will make its 13th appearance and second consecutive.

LA Galaxy (USA)**

LA Galaxy qualified by securing a spot among the two next-best clubs in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. This will be the club's 11th appearance and first since the 2015–16 edition. The club's best finish came in 2000 as champions.

CS Herediano (CRC)

Club Sport Herediano qualified by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. This will be the club's 17th appearance and second consecutive. The club will seek to match its best finish when it made the semifinals in 2014–15.

LD Alajuelense (CRC)**

Liga Deportiva Alajuelense qualified for Round One by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. This will be the club's 28th appearance and third consecutive. The club’s best finish came in 2004 as champions.

Forge FC (CAN)

Forge FC qualified by winning the 2024 Canadian Premier League Shield. The club will participate for a second consecutive occasion and third overall.

FC Cincinnati (USA)**

FC Cincinnati qualified by finishing as the second-best not already qualified club in the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. This will be the club's second appearance after making its debut in the 2024 edition. The club's best finish was reaching the Round of 16.

Real Salt Lake (USA)

Real Salt Lake qualified by finishing as the third-best not already qualified club in the 2024 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. This will be the club's fourth appearance and first since the 2015–16 edition. The club's best finish came in during the 2010–11 edition, its debut campaign, as runners-up.

Deportivo Saprissa (CRC)

Deportivo Saprissa qualified by winning its Play-In series in the Concacaf Central American Cup. This will be the club's 38th appearance and second consecutive. The club’s best finish came in 1993, 1995, 2005 as champions.

FC Motagua (HON)

FC Motagua qualified by winning its Play-In series in the Concacaf Central American Cup. This will be the club's 21st appearance first since the 2023 edition. The club’s best finish is as a quarterfinalist, which it accomplished in its previous appearance.

Cavalier FC (JAM)**

Cavalier FC qualified by reaching the final of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. The Jamaican side will make its second consecutive appearance after debuting in the 2024 edition.

Cibao FC (DOM)**

Cibao FC qualified by reaching the final of the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. The Dominican Republic side will make its second appearance and first since debuting in the 2018 edition, when the club reached the Round of 16.

Cavalry FC (CAN)

Cavalry FC qualified by reaching the final of the 2024 Canadian Premier League season and finishing as runners-up in the tournament’s Supporters’ Shield Standings. This will be the club's second consecutive appearance in the Champions Cup.

*Clubs that will receive a bye to the Round of 16 include the three regional cup champions, the MLS Cup champion, and the best-performing Liga MX champion.

**Can still secure a bye to the Round of 16

The two remaining clubs will be determined as follows:

Concacaf Caribbean Cup (one club): 2024 Third place.

MLS (one club): 2024 MLS Cup champion.

For more information on the Concacaf Champions Cup, visit www.concacaf.com/champions-cup.