Leagues Cup shines spotlight on MLS vs. LIGA MX rivalry | OneFootball

By Justin Ruderman

Are you having FIFA World Cup withdrawals and craving another dose of North American soccer?

If so, good news is just around the corner: Leagues Cup returns on Tuesday, pitting 18 MLS clubs against 18 LIGA MX clubs in the annual, rivalry-filled tournament that's now in its fourth season.

Teams are chasing a spot in the Sept. 6 final, and the top three finishers qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

“You want to show the quality of our players and our league, the growth of it as well," said Orlando City and Canada goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.

"I think it's a natural thing, because we're all competitors at the base. You don't play just to have fun at this point. You play to win the games and to go from there."

Rivalry renewed

Fresh off a thrilling 4-3 victory over LIGA MX in the MLS All-Star Game presented by Chime – a summer showcase MLS has dominated with four wins in five all-time meetings – the rivalry between these two leagues is set to add another chapter.

"It starts at the very top. It starts at the league level, it goes into the teams, it goes to the players, it goes to family ties. It's everything, right? It's such a big rivalry," said United States World Cup captain and Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream.

“Whether it's an All-Star Game or not, one side wants to get over the other, and that's forever how it's been, and forever how it always will be. I think that's just part of being competitors and being so close. It's about who can get the best out of themselves and get the better of their opponent."

Since the tournament expanded in 2023, there’s no question which side has gotten the better of their opponent.

MLS won all three previous editions: Inter Miami CF in 2023, Columbus Crew in 2024 and Seattle Sounders FC in 2025. Only one LIGA MX team, CF Monterrey in 2023, has reached the semifinals over that span.

“I played in (Leagues Cup) in the last couple of years, and there's always really good games when we played against each other, good atmosphere,” said Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith.

“I think both MLS and LIGA MX in their own right have turned into really good leagues, and people are taking notice of it. There's lots of good players in both leagues.”

Star-studded summer

Leagues Cup's star power has only deepened as MLS continues to attract global names, with the likes of LAFC forward Son Heung-Min, Orlando City forward Antoine Griezmann, Chicago Fire FC forward Robert Lewandowski and Inter Miami CF midfielder Casemiro all new to this year's competition.

That list also includes Vancouver Whitecaps FC midfielder Thomas Müller, the German legend who arrived last summer from Bayern Munich.

Müller got his first taste of the MLS vs. LIGA MX rivalry earlier this season in the Concacaf Champions Cup, the North American continental competition LIGA MX has historically had the upper hand in.

"Both have a little bit of understanding that they're a pretty decent league, and increasing the level year by year,” said Müller. “So it really makes sense to compete, and I think we already saw in the past some pretty good games in the Concacaf [Champions Cup] or in last year's Leagues Cup."

They join Lionel Messi, who famously played a leading role in Inter Miami’s 2023 Leagues Cup championship immediately upon his arrival in MLS, winning the tournament’s MVP award as the competition's top scorer (10 goals).

Messi enters this summer's tournament after playing at his sixth World Cup, and now can win a record 48th trophy for club or country.

"Having this unique ability to just have so many great players within this league today, and having so many emerging young players that allow themselves to show their quality within Leagues Cup has been magnificent over the last couple of years," said Greg Garza, a former LIGA MX and MLS defender.

Unique challenge

Adding to the rivalry stakes, all 54 Phase One matches and the four quarterfinals will deliver LIGA MX vs. MLS matchups. It's also extremely difficult to advance, as only the top four clubs from each league table (of 18 total) advance to the knockout rounds.

There's no other competition quite like it in global soccer, and the players enjoy the challenge.

"I think it's a kind of football that we don't get to see often in club football, except if you're in the Concacaf Champions Cup,” said Crépeau. “It's another taste of that football that you can get, so I think it's very exciting.”

Another layer that makes Leagues Cup particularly unique is that Phase One games can't end in a tie.

Instead of entering extra time when a match is level after 90 minutes of regulation, Leagues Cup games head directly to penalties with an opportunity for teams to turn one point into two by winning the shootout.

“I think it just gives a little bit of the pressure on the players. I think that's much needed,” said Garza.

 “Whether you're a very young player and you have to take a pen, [which] sometimes can be nerve-wracking. I think it just spices things up a bit and it allows the tournament to continue to have this fluidity and this flow to get through it."

Playing in Mexico

For the first time in Leagues Cup history, select MLS sides will have to contend with traveling south of the border.

LIGA MX clubs will host four Phase One matches in Mexico, a highly anticipated update after MLS clubs have hosted matches in the US and Canada.

"It's been a little bit lopsided in terms of that they always travel up here and have to play away from home. We can debate whether they're actually playing away with partisan or bipartisan crowds, but it adds a different layer. It adds a new challenge for some of the teams, but I think it's good,” said Ream.

“I think it allows MLS teams to experience going down to Mexico and playing in even more hostile environments, and that's what makes you better. That's what makes you stronger as a team and as a group. Hopefully our teams can go down there and put on a good performance."

Nashville SC have enjoyed particular success against LIGA MX opposition, and earlier this year became the first MLS team ever to win at Club América’s famous Estadio Azteca.

Hany Mukhtar hopes for another statement in Leagues Cup, with Nashville hosting the 2023 final vs. Inter Miami.

"I love playing against Mexican teams. They play very differently than what we are used to in MLS, and their stadiums, their atmosphere, the altitude. So, as Nashville SC as a club and as players, we're looking forward to playing against Mexican teams,” said the former Landon Donovan MLS MVP. 

“It's very hard. It's very competitive. We had great experience [three] years ago in the Leagues Cup, so we're happy to be back."