Who needs the World Cup when you can have Leagues Cup? It’s Liga MX vs. MLS. Mexico vs. USA (and Canada). Three nations, my friends — but just one trophy. We’re hitting pause again on the regular season, but trust me, it’s going to be worth it. Let’s remind ourselves how this tournament works, meet our Phase One opponents, and get to WORK. 

Ye Old Format

It worked last year, why not run it back? It’s tried and true, a formula that never fails! This year’s Leagues Cup will follow the same format as last season, so we’re building some familiarity here. From August 4 to September 6, MLS will be taking on Liga MX to see who’s the best in this fourth edition of our interleague tournament, and after three years of domination, the Major League Soccer folks just might be getting a bit cocky. 

Just like last year, this edition will only feature 36 teams: 18 from each league. That means that every Liga MX club will compete, while only the teams that qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2025 will be eligible for this year’s Leagues Cup, with exceptions as needed. 

All 36 teams will fight for the title across two phases. Phase One entails three matchups against teams from the opposite league, meaning MNUFC (and all MLS competitors) will play three Liga MX teams. Throughout the tournament, games that are tied after 90 minutes will be decided by a penalty shootout, ensuring a winner in every match. In Phase One, a win will be worth three points, a shootout win will be worth two points, and a shootout loss will be worth one point. After everyone has played their three matches, the top four point-earners from each league advance to the Knockout Rounds. 

These quarterfinals will pit teams from opposing leagues against one another, ensuring even more interleague matchups in important matches. As in years past, three Concacaf Champions Cup spots are up for grabs, with the winners, runners-up, and third-place teams all qualifying for the 2026 tournament.

Meet the Teams

For the fourth tournament in a row, your Loons will be playing against some new Liga MX opponents. We’ll take a closer look at each one in their respective match previews, but a quick intro ahead of schedule never hurts anybody, right? Let’s meet our newest Liga MX friends:

FC Juárez

MNUFC’s first opponent this year will be none other than FC Juárez. Los Bravos (the Fierce Ones) hail from Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, located right across the national border from El Paso, Texas. The club as it is known today was founded in 2015, when they began playing in the second division of Mexican soccer. After several years of nearly earning promotion, a buyout of  Lobos BUAP saw Juárez replace the acquired team in the first division, where they have stayed ever since. Their best finish in Liga MX came in the 2025 Apertura season, when they finished eighth in the league. 

Tigres UANL

Every matchup is a big matchup when the Loons are involved, but this one is special. Club Tigres de la Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León — or Tigres UANL, to save time — is one of the most decorated and notable Liga MX clubs of all time. Their eight domestic titles, 2020 Concacaf Champions Cup triumph, and run to the Club World Cup final in the same year have seen them find plenty of success, and the long list of world-class players to don the jersey speaks to the quality of this club. They’re based in the Monterrey metro, specifically San Nicolás de Los Garza, and have been around since 1960. Circle this one on the calendar, folks. 

Atlante FC

Finally, the Loons will wrap up Phase One against Atlante FC. Whereas FC Juárez is among the youngest teams in Liga MX, Atlante have been playing in one form or another since 1916, making this club just over 110 years old. They’ve played under different names, passed through different ownership groups, and generally experienced just about every high and low a soccer club can possibly go through, managing three top flight titles, two continental titles, and a thoroughly interesting club history all-in-all. There’s so much more to dive into with this club, but we’ll have to get to that in the preview. They just returned to the first division this season by acquiring Mazatlán’s franchise, taking their place and relocating to Mexico City to play in the famed Estadio Azteca. 

There you have it: Three new opponents ready to play at Allianz Field. Those are the only guaranteed Leagues Cup matchups for your Loons, but it’s anyone’s game. Get out to the stadium or tune in on August 4, 7, and 11 to catch the action!