The Leagues Cup has rapidly evolved from a niche friendly tournament into a major, officially sanctioned competition on the North American soccer calendar. With all clubs from Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX participating, understanding the classement Leagues Cup—or the official standings—is crucial for fans, analysts, and anyone following the tournament’s thrilling progression.
What is the Leagues Cup? A Quick Primer
The Leagues Cup is a summer soccer tournament sanctioned by CONCACAF, featuring all teams from MLS and Liga MX. Since its expansion in 2023, the tournament has paused both domestic league seasons for a month-long, World Cup-style competition. Beyond the prestige of the championship title, the stakes are high: the top three finishers earn spots in the following year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup, the region’s premier club competition.
Deconstructing the “Classement Leagues Cup”
The term “classement,” French for “ranking” or “standings,” is central to how the Leagues Cup is structured. Unlike a single league table, the Leagues Cup has a unique system that has undergone changes, particularly with the 2025 format. Here’s how it works:
The 2024 Group Stage (A Look Back)
In 2024, the tournament featured a group stage with 45 teams drawn into 15 groups. The standings within each group were determined by a specific points system designed to encourage attacking play and avoid draws:
Win in Regulation: 3 points
Draw (Penalty Shootout Win): 2 points
Draw (Penalty Shootout Loss): 1 point
Loss in Regulation: 0 points
Teams were ranked based on these points. In the event of a tie on points, the following tiebreakers were used in order:
Greater number of wins in regular time.
Greater goal difference.
Greater number of goals scored.
Fewer number of goals conceded.
Fair play points (based on a calculation of yellow and red cards).
A final drawing of lots if all other criteria are equal.
The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage, joining the two seeded teams who received byes.
The 2025 Format: A New Approach
The 2025 Leagues Cup introduced a significant format change to enhance interleague matchups. The tournament was streamlined to 36 teams—all 18 Liga MX clubs and 18 qualifying MLS teams. The “classement” is now determined in a new “Phase One” that leads into the knockout rounds.
Phase One: Teams are divided into an Eastern and Western region. Within these regions, teams are sorted into sets. Each team plays three matches against three opponents from the opposite league (i.e., MLS vs. Liga MX).
League-Specific Tables: A key innovation in 2025 is that points are accumulated in league-specific tables. An MLS team’s win earns points in the “Leagues Cup MLS table,” while a Liga MX team’s win contributes to the “Leagues Cup Liga MX table.”
Points System (2025): The point system remains the same as 2024: 3 points for a regulation win, 2 for a shootout win, and 1 for a shootout loss.
Advancement: The top four clubs from each of the two league-specific tables (MLS and Liga MX) advance directly to the knockout stage. This ensures that the quarterfinals consist of an even split: four MLS teams and four Liga MX teams.
A Step-by-Step Guide to the “Classement”
To understand a team’s journey through the Leagues Cup, let’s follow a hypothetical example based on the new 2025 format:
Phase One: A team like Seattle Sounders (MLS) plays three matches against three different Liga MX opponents.
Point Accumulation: Seattle wins one match in regulation (3 points), loses one in a shootout (1 point), and wins one in a shootout (2 points). They have a total of 6 points.
MLS Table: Their 6 points are tallied in the Leagues Cup MLS table, a ranking that includes all 18 participating MLS clubs.
Ranking: Seattle’s position in this table is determined by their points and the tiebreakers (goal difference, goals scored, etc.) against other MLS teams.
Knockout Qualification: If Seattle finishes in the top four of the Leagues Cup MLS table, they advance to the quarterfinals.
Quarterfinal Matchup: As the top-ranked MLS team (MLS 1), they would face the lowest-ranked Liga MX team to qualify (Liga MX 4) in the fixed knockout bracket.
Recent Trends and Key Developments (As of late 2025)
The Leagues Cup is a dynamic tournament, and several trends are shaping its landscape:
MLS Dominance: The 2024 tournament saw an MLS club, the Columbus Crew, lift the trophy. This, combined with Inter Miami’s victory in 2023, has established a trend of MLS teams rising to the occasion on their home soil.
Format Evolution: The shift in 2025 to a league-specific ranking system for Phase One demonstrates a conscious effort by organizers to ensure a strong presence of both leagues in the knockout rounds, creating a more balanced and exciting interleague bracket.
Prize and Qualification: The significant incentive of a CONCACAF Champions Cup berth for the top three teams has elevated the tournament’s importance. The champion gains a direct bye to the Round of 16, a massive advantage for a congested club soccer calendar.
Real-Life Examples: The 2024 Leagues Cup Finale
The 2024 Leagues Cup provides a perfect case study.
Champion: Columbus Crew
Runner-up: Los Angeles FC
Third Place: Colorado Rapids
Fourth Place: Philadelphia Union
The fact that all four semifinalists were MLS teams highlighted the home-field advantage and the depth of talent within the league. The Columbus Crew’s victory over Los Angeles FC in the final cemented their place in history and secured their direct entry into the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16, an invaluable prize.
The Colorado Rapids’ third-place finish also earned them a qualification spot, showcasing how a team’s journey through the “classement” can have a significant impact on their continental ambitions.
Practical Tips for Fans and Analysts
Focus on the Points System: Don’t assume a traditional group-stage format. The points for a penalty shootout are a crucial detail that can change the “classement” and determine which teams advance.
Monitor Tiebreakers: With the new league-specific tables in 2025, tiebreakers like goal difference and goals scored become even more critical in crowded races for a top-four spot.
Follow the Knockout Bracket: The fixed nature of the 2025 knockout bracket means that a team’s Phase One ranking directly determines their quarterfinal opponent (e.g., MLS 1 vs. Liga MX 4). This strategic element adds an extra layer of intrigue.
FAQs
How does the Leagues Cup “classement” differ from a regular league table?
A regular league table, like in MLS or Liga MX, is based on a full season of home and away matches. The Leagues Cup “classement” is unique because it’s determined over a short “Phase One” and has a special points system for penalty shootouts. The 2025 format also uses separate, league-specific tables to determine knockout round qualification.
Which teams qualify for the Leagues Cup?
Starting in 2025, all 18 Liga MX teams and 18 qualifying MLS teams participate. The MLS teams are the top nine from each conference based on the prior season’s MLS Cup playoff participation.
What happens if a Leagues Cup match ends in a tie?
There are no draws in the Leagues Cup. If a match is tied after 90 minutes, it goes directly to a penalty shootout. The winner of the shootout gets 2 points and the loser gets 1 point. In the knockout stages, a shootout determines the winner and the match is single-elimination.
Do the Leagues Cup standings have any bearing on MLS or Liga MX seasons?
No. The Leagues Cup is a separate competition and its standings do not affect a team’s position in their domestic league. However, the tournament winner and top finishers do qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup, which can impact their schedule and future ambitions.
What’s the biggest change in the 2025 Leagues Cup format?
The most significant change is the shift from a single group-stage table to two separate, league-specific tables (one for MLS and one for Liga MX) in “Phase One.” This guarantees that the knockout rounds feature a balanced slate of MLS vs. Liga MX matchups.
Final Thoughts
The classement Leagues Cup is more than just a list of teams and points; it’s the engine that drives a unique and high-stakes tournament. The organizers’ willingness to adapt and refine the format, as seen with the 2025 changes, demonstrates a commitment to creating an engaging competition.
As a new generation of players and fans embrace this cross-league rivalry, the Leagues Cup’s official standings will remain a focal point, telling the story of which teams have earned their place among the North American elite.
To read more, Click here
Leave a Reply