What is the CONCACAF Champions Cup? Name change for North American competition featuring Messi’s Inter Miami
Lionel Messi’s continued climb amongst the pantheon of MLS greats could take yet another step towards the heavens as he leads Inter Miami into the 2026 CONCACAF Champions League.
The Inter Miami star led his club to its first-ever MLS title last season, confirming a place in the continental tournament for the following season.
However, the name of the competition may still be a head-scratcher for some, who are used to hearing discussions of the old CONCACAF Champions League.
The Sporting News brings you a full review of how the CONCACAF Champions Cup works, who qualifies for the tournament in 2026, and its history.
What is the CONCACAF Champions Cup?
The CONCACAF Champions Cup is the North American continental club championship, or the equivalent of Europe’s UEFA Champions League.
Established in 1962, the competition was known as the CONCACAF Champions League from 2008 to 2023. With the 2024 tournament on the horizon, the North and Central American confederation decided to revive the old name once again, breaking from its sister competitions in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
For the 2024 tournament, the competition will expand to 27 teams participating.
Who qualifies for the CONCACAF Champions Cup?
The CONCACAF Champions Cup is meant to compile all the top clubs in North and Central America from the previous year into one knockout tournament, which crowns a continental club champion.
As it has been since its inception, the tournament is a straight knockout bracket, with no group stage to start things off.
While the old iteration of the competition featured 16 teams in the knockout tournament, the new version of the Champions Cup has expanded to 27. Five champions of various competitions earn a bye to the Round of 16, while everyone else enters the tournament in the first round.
| Club (Seed) | Nation | Qualified Via | Round Entered |
| Inter Miami (2) | USA | 2025 MLS Cup champions | Round of 16 |
| Seattle Sounders (3) | USA | 2025 Leagues Cup champions | Round of 16 |
| Toluca (1) | Mexico | 2024/25 Liga MX champions* | Round of 16 |
| Alajuelense (4) | Costa Rica | 2025 Central American Cup champions | Round of 16 |
| Mount Pleasant (5) | Jamaica | 2025 Caribbean Cup champions | Round of 16 |
| LA Galaxy (14) | USA | 2025 Leagues Cup third place | Round One |
| Philadelphia Union (12) | USA | 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield | Round One |
| San Diego FC (17) | USA | 2025 MLS Western Conference regular season champions | Round One |
| Vancouver Whitecaps (9) | USA | Next highest non-qualified club in MLS standings | Round One |
| FC Cincinnati (13) | USA | Next highest non-qualified club in MLS standings | Round One |
| LAFC (10) | USA | Next highest non-qualified club in MLS standings** | Round One |
| Nashville SC (15) | USA | 2025 U.S. Open Cup winners | Round One |
| Club America (8) | Mexico | 2024/25 Liga MX Apertura champions* | Round One |
| Monterrey (11) | Mexico | 2023/24 Liga MX Clausura runners-up | Round One |
| Cruz Azul (6) | Mexico | Next highest non-qualified club in Liga MX standings | Round One |
| UNAL Tigres (7) | Mexico | Next highest non-qualified club in Liga MX standings | Round One |
| UNAM Pumas (16) | Mexico | Next highest non-qualified club in Liga MX standings | Round One |
| Vancouver FC (26) | Canada | 2025 Canadian Championship runners-up*** | Round One |
| Atletico Ottowa (20) | Canada | 2025 Canadian Premier League champions | Round One |
| Forge FC (19) | Canada | 2025 Canadian Premier League Shield winners | Round One |
| O&M (27) | Dominican Rep. | 2025 Caribbean Cup runners-up | Round One |
| Defence Force (25) | Trinidad & Tobago | 2025 Caribbean Cup third place | Round One |
| Xelaju (22) | Guatemala | 2025 Central American Cup runners-up | Round One |
| Real Espana (24) | Honduras | 2025 Central American Cup semifinalist | Round One |
| Olimpia (18) | Honduras | 2025 Central American Cup semifinalist | Round One |
| Cartagines (21) | Costa Rica | 2025 Central American Cup play-in winners | Round One |
| Sporting San Miguelito (23) | Panama | 2025 Central American Cup play-in winners | Round One |
* Toluca secured passage to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 by having a higher aggregate table standing than 2024/25 Apertura champions Club America.
** LAFC secured CONCACAF Champions Cup participation as the next-highest MLS finisher yet to qualify due to 2025 League Cup runners-up Inter Miami having already qualified via their 2025 MLS Cup title.
*** Vancouver FC secured CONCACAF Champions Cup participation as Canadian Championship winners Vancouver Whitecaps had already qualified via MLS table standing, which takes precedent.
2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup schedule
The matchups for the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup were set by the draw which takes place on December 9, 2025.
Teams entering in the Round of 16 were ranked by CONCACAF and slotted into the bracket automatically before the draw. The rest of the 22 participants were ranked by CONCACAF coefficient and drawn into first round matchups against one another.
All stages prior to the final will be contested across two legs, while the final will be a single match. It is not yet determined where the final will take place, either hosted by one of the participants or contested at a neutral venue.
| Stage | First Leg | 2nd Leg |
| First Round | Feb. 6-15 | Feb. 20-29 |
| Round of 16 | Mar. 5-7 | Mar. 12-14 |
| Quarterfinals | Apr. 2-4 | Apr. 9-11 |
| Semifinals | Apr. 23-25 | Apr. 30-May 2 |
| Final | June 2 | |
2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup fixtures, dates, times
All times Eastern. Higher seeded team hosts the second leg in each matchup.
Round One
First leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Feb. 3 | 7:06 p.m. | R11: Forge FC vs. UNAL Tigres | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Feb. 3 | 9:06 p.m. | R7: Olimpia vs. Club America | Tegucigalpa, Honduras |
| Feb. 3 | 11:06 p.m. | R1: San Diego FC vs. UNAM Pumas | San Diego, CA |
| Feb. 4 | 8:06 p.m. | R4: Xelaju vs. Monterrey | Guatemala City, Guatemala |
| Feb. 4 | 10:06 p.m. | R3: Vancouver FC vs. Cruz Azul | Langley, British Colombia |
| Feb. 17 | 8:06 p.m. | R6: Atletico Ottawa vs. Nashville SC | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Feb. 17 | 10:06 p.m. | R5: Real Espana vs. LAFC | San Pedro Sula, Honduras |
| Feb. 18 | 6:06 p.m. | R8: Defence Force vs. Philadelphia Union | Port of Spain, Trinidad |
| Feb. 18 | 8:06 p.m. | R10: O&M vs. FC Cincinnati | Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic |
| Feb. 18 | 10:06 p.m. | R9: Cartagines vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | Cartago, Costa Rica |
| Feb. 19 | 8:06 p.m. | R2: Sporting San Miguelito vs. LA Galaxy | Penonome, Panama |
Second leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Feb. 10 | 8:06 p.m. | R1: UNAM Pumas vs. San Diego FC | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Feb. 10 | 10:06 p.m. | R11: UNAL Tigres vs. Forge FC | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Feb. 11 | 8:06 p.m. | R7: Club America vs. Olimpia | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Feb. 11 | 10:06 p.m. | R4: Monterrey vs. Xelaju | Monterrey, Mexico |
| Feb. 12 | 8:06 p.m. | R9: Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver FC | Mexico City, Mexico |
| Feb. 24 | 8:06 p.m. | R6: Nashville SC vs. Atletico Ottawa | Nashville, TN |
| Feb. 24 | 10:06 p.m. | R5: LAFC vs. Real Espana | Los Angeles, CA |
| Feb. 25 | 7:06 p.m. | R10: FC Cincinnati vs. O&M | Cincinnati, OH |
| Feb. 25 | 9:36 p.m. | R3: Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Cartagines | Vancouver, British Colombia |
| Feb. 25 | 11:36 p.m. | R2: LA Galaxy vs. Sporting San Miguelito | Carson, CA |
| Feb. 26 | 7:06 p.m. | R8: Philadelphia Union vs. Defence Force | Philadelphia, PA |
Round of 16
First leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Mar. 10-12 | M1: Winner, R1 vs. Toluca | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M2: Winner, R2 vs. Mount Pleasant | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M3: Winner, R4 vs. Winner, R3 | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M4: Winner, R5 vs. Alajuelense | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M5: Winner, R6 vs. Inter Miami | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M6: Winner, R7/8 vs. Winner, R7/8 | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M7: Winner, R9/10 vs. Winner, R9/10 | ||
| Mar. 10-12 | M8: Winner, R11 vs. Seattle Sounders |
Second leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Mar. 17-19 | M1: Toluca vs. Winner, R1 | Toluca, Mexico | |
| Mar. 17-19 | M2: Mount Pleasant vs. Winner, R2 | Saint Ann, Jamaica | |
| Mar. 17-19 | M3: Winner, R3 vs. Winner, R4 | ||
| Mar. 17-19 | M4: Alajuelense vs. Winner, R5 | Alajuela, Costa Rica | |
| Mar. 17-19 | M5: Inter Miami vs. Winner, R6 | Ft. Lauderdale, FL* | |
| Mar. 17-19 | M6: Winner, R7/8 vs. Winner, R7/8 | ||
| Mar. 17-19 | M7: Winner, R9/10 vs. Winner, R9/10 | ||
| Mar. 17-19 | M8: Seattle Sounders vs. Winner, R11 | Seattle, WA |
* Inter Miami will play their home Round of 16 match at their Ft. Lauderdale stadium, with their new Freedom Park venue in Miami not set to open until April 4.
Quarterfinals
First leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| April 7-9 | Q1: Winner, M1/2 vs. Winner, M1/2 | ||
| April 7-9 | Q2: Winner, M3/4 vs. Winner, M3/4 | ||
| April 7-9 | Q3: Winner, M5/6 vs. Winner, M5/6 | ||
| April 7-9 | Q4: Winner, M7/8 vs. Winner, M7/8 |
Second leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| April 14-16 | Q1: Winner, M1/2 vs. Winner, M1/2 | ||
| April 14-16 | Q2: Winner, M3/4 vs. Winner, M3/4 | ||
| April 14-16 | Q3: Winner, M5/6 vs. Winner, M5/6 | ||
| April 14-16 | Q4: Winner, M7/8 vs. Winner, M7/8 |
Semifinals
First leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Apr. 28-30 | S1: Winner, Q1/2 vs. Winner, Q1/2 | ||
| Apr. 28-30 | S2: Winner, Q3/4 vs. Winner, Q3/4 |
Second leg
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| May 5-7 | S1: Winner, Q1/2 vs. Winner, Q1/2 | ||
| May 5-7 | S2: Winner, Q3/4 vs. Winner, Q3/4 |
Final
The final is hosted by the higher-performing side through the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The two qualifying participants are placed in a defacto table, with three points for each win in the competition and one point for a draw, with the usual tiebreakers of goal differential and goals scored.
For example, in 2025, Cruz Azul hosted the final as their record of three wins and three draws gave them 12 points, while Vancouver Whitecaps had secured 10 points via two wins and four draws.
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| May 30 | Winner, S1/2 vs. Winner, S1/2 |
Who has won the most CONCACAF Champions Cup titles?
Throughout its history, Mexican clubs have dominated the CONCACAF club competition. Since its inception in 1962, and including both iterations of the tournament (the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the CONCACAF Champions League), Club America have won the most titles, with seven, including five CONCACAF Champions Cup trophies and two in the other iteration.
Clubs from Major League Soccer have struggled mightily in this competition, with just three all-time titles and only one since 2001, being the Seattle Sounders who broke a 20-year drought in 2022. No MLS club has won the competition more than once.
Since the initial change from Champions Cup to Champions League in 2009, no club outside of the United States or Mexico have won the competition. The last club to do so was Costa Rican side Saprissa in 2005.
Clubs with multiple CONCACAF continental championships
| Club | League | Total Titles | CCC | CCL | Last Title |
| Club America | Liga MX | 7 | 5 | 2 | 2016 |
| Cruz Azul | Liga MX | 7 | 6 | 1 | 2025 |
| Pachuca | Liga MX | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2024 |
| Monterrey | Liga MX | 5 | 0 | 5 | 2021 |
| Saprissa | Costa Rica | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2005 |
| UNAM Pumas | Liga MX | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1989 |
| Atlante | Liga MX | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2009 |
| Alajuelense | Costa Rica | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2004 |
| Toluca | Liga MX | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2003 |
| Necaxa | Liga MX | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1999 |
| Olimpia | Honduras | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1988 |
| Defence Force | Trinidad & Tobago | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1985 |
