There isn’t any MLS action this weekend, so if you’re looking to indulge, Leagues Cup is the only way. I like Leagues Cup. I think it’s fun and I do think it’s a good measuring stick to see where MLS is compared to what’s seen as the highest level in Concacaf. For what it’s worth, I do think they’re still the gold standard in North America, but it’s not nearly the gap that it used to be. Seattle Sounders made history in 2022 as the first MLS club to ever win the Concacaf Champions Cup, and until that’s a normal occurrence I just don’t see a way you can argue that MLS as a league has reached that level.

Regardless, I think Leagues Cup is a fun competition, and I do think overall the players care a lot about it. There’s real prize money on the line, and you’re playing opponents you don’t get to compete against very often.

We’ll see a new format this year, with 18 teams from each league participating.  Those left out from the MLS contingent are the teams who failed to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs last season as well as the Vancouver Whitecaps, who… well… got booted in favor of expansion side San Diego FC.  Teams will play three games exclusively against opponents from the opposite league, with the top four teams from each league qualifying for the knockout round.  The structure from there will also pit Liga MX teams against MLS teams, so the soonest you’d see an intra-league matchup would be the semi finals.  I’m curious to see how the new format plays out, but the lack of knockout round games could find fans of the teams who narrowly miss qualifying for Phase 2 pretty angry.  The two leagues have shown the flexibility of trying different formats, so I’m sure this one is far from set in stone for the future.

Having said that, here’s a couple teams to look out for

Sorry, I’m writing this after they beat Columbus on penalties in their opening game, but I didn’t need to watch that to know they’ll be a force in the tournament.  They won the 2025 Campeón De Campeones (Think Liga MX Super Bowl.  The winner of the Apertura season plays the winner of the Clausura season for all the marbles… I’ll explain their league structure another time) against powerhouse Cruz Azul, and over both of the seasons last year, accrued the second most points of any team (72 to Cruz Azul’s 75).  Portugese striker Paulinho won the Clausura Golden Boot with 12 goals, and his attacking counterpart Alexis Vega finished with 4 goals and 3 assists.  It wouldn’t take much to argue that they’re the most in form Liga MX team coming into the tournament, and after taking the extra point against Columbus in PKs, matches against Montreal and NYCFC could see Toluca soaring into the knockout round.

Another one that won’t need much convincing, I’d think.  Messi lives on tournament play, and his arrival in MLS has been no different.  When he arrived in Miami, they ran the table and won the tournament back in 2023.  Miami continue to manipulate the cap restrictions that MLS has, bringing in Rodrigo De Paul from Atletico Madrid on a TAM deal (nobody knows how, don’t ask me).  It’s frustrating for teams around the league but the truth is, the ambition that Inter Miami is showing with their roster construction will push other teams to try and do so as well.  With De Paul entering the midfield for Miami, there’s no reason the team can’t make another run at the trophy… and you know that’s what they’re shooting for.

The Loons have been one of the most consistent teams in MLS this season.  They’ve been one of the more stout defenses in the league this year as well, sitting fifth in goals against and get scoring from everywhere. Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah each have nine goals, emerging left back Anthony Markanich has pitched in with six of his own, and Bongokuhle Hlangwane is an extremely talented option on the right wing.  With a tough matchup down in Houston against Club América sandwiched in between home games against two sides who missed the Liga MX playoffs in Querétaro and San Luis, Minnesota have all the tools to make a deep run in the competition.

The Monterrey Giants have been maybe the most accomplished team of the last decade in Mexico and it seems like every time we see them, they’re MLS killers.  Heading into Leagues Cup, they’ve only lost once to MLS opposition dating back to the start of 2024 (NYCFC in Leagues Cup Round of 16 last year).  They’ve accumulated five wins in that time and another six draws, and keep in mind many of those draws came in away legs of Concacaf Champions Cup.  The constant for Tigers has been their Argentinian goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán, who has played virtually every game for the club since his arrival in the summer of 2014.  He’s been the rock at the back that’s seen five Liga MX regular season trophies, four Campeón de Campeones titles, and a Concacaf Champions League in 2020.  They’ve had a fair bit of turnover in recent years, and none more notable than long term captain Guido Pizzaro leaving the field and becoming the head coach this past winter.  Tigres have a record of 8-8-3 since he’s taken over and finished fourth place in the 2025 Clausura.  Tigres do have a tough schedule in their three Phase 1 matches, opening in Houston against the Dynamo then traveling to Southern California to square up with San Diego FC and LAFC.  If they’re able to qualify for the knockout round, they’ll be battle tested and will believe they can win the whole thing.