Liga MX Chief Announces Changes to Leagues Cup in 2025, Eliminating Midseason Break
The Leagues Cup is set to undergo significant changes in 2025, moving away from its previous format of being held during a month-long midseason break for MLS and Mexican teams, as stated by Liga MX president Mikel Arriola during a press conference on Sunday.
Arriola indicated that the tournament would continue to be scheduled in the summer, but emphasized that next season’s Leagues Cup matches would take place on weekdays, allowing Mexican teams to maintain their regular domestic matches on weekends. While MLS media representatives did not provide immediate comments, it seems likely that MLS will adjust its schedule similarly. On Monday, MLS confirmed the changes, revealing that the tournament will occur from July 29 to August 31, 2025, in the U.S. and Canada, “during the MLS and Liga MX regular seasons.”
“We just approved the new Leagues Cup format,” Arriola remarked. “We’re no longer going to hold camps there.”
Mikel Arriola and Club America’s Luis Malagon on Sunday (Hector Vivas / Getty Images)
In the expanded tournaments of 2023 and 2024, all matches were hosted in the U.S. or Canada, with several Liga MX teams establishing base camps in various locations across the U.S. MLS announced that more details regarding the format, schedule, and other aspects of the 2025 Leagues Cup will be revealed early in the new year.
“We’ll play midweek so Mexican teams don’t struggle, and Liga MX games will be played on the weekends,” Arriola added.
Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami claimed the Leagues Cup in 2023, creating a memorable moment for the Argentine’s first appearance on the field since his transfer, culminating in a stunning stoppage-time free-kick that secured victory against Cruz Azul in the group stage. Miami went on to defeat Nashville SC in the final, while the Columbus Crew triumphed over LAFC in the 2024 finale.
ESPN reported that only 18 MLS teams, along with the 18 Liga MX teams, will participate in 2025. In the last two years, all MLS clubs took part. MLS is set to expand from 29 to 30 teams in 2025, with San Diego FC joining the ranks.
Multiple league sources shared that the intention is to involve all 18 playoff teams in the Leagues Cup, while non-playoff teams based in the U.S. will compete in the U.S. Open Cup.
A streamlined format aligns with MLS commissioner Don Garber’s statements during his annual league address this month.
“We need more MLS versus Liga MX matches,” Garber asserted. “That was really the point of the Leagues Cup in the beginning. We’re exploring modifications that will allow us to focus more on fostering this great rivalry between our two leagues.”
(Top photo: Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images)
