The Leagues Cup, which pits Major League Soccer (MLS) against Liga MX, starts this Tuesday as the defending champions, Columbus Crew, aim to retain their title. New player Wessam Abou Ali, fresh off a successful Club World Cup with Al Ahly, will be taking the field for the Crew.

The tournament spans from July 29 to August 31, during which MLS games will pause for Phase One and resume on August 9.

Leagues Cup Structure

• Group Stage Matchups: In Phase One, only teams from MLS will compete against those from Liga MX.
• Advancing Teams: Each league will have separate standings, and the top four from each will move into the quarterfinals scheduled for August 19-20. Thus, every match’s outcome is vital for standing due to goal differences, which can impact progression to the knockout rounds.
• Draw Protocols: Matches cannot end in a draw; if tied, a penalty shootout will determine the winner. Points are allocated as follows: three for a win, one for a draw, and two for penalty shootout victors.

Team Participation Changes

Nowadays, not every MLS team will compete, with only the top nine teams from each conference qualifying. San Diego FC, an expansion team at the top of the Western Conference, will replace Vancouver Whitecaps, who are engaged in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Current Standings Overview

Group A

Standing	Club	MP	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Atlanta United	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Charlotte FC	0	0	0	0	0	0
…		…	…	…	…	…	…
18	Seattle Sounders	0	0	0	0	0	0

Group B

Standing	Club	MP	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Atlas	0	0	0	0	0	0
2	Atletico de San Luis	0	0	0	0	0	0
…		…	…	…	…	…	…
18	Toluca	0	0	0	0	0	0

Upcoming Matches

Date	Matchup	Time (ET)
July 29	Toluca vs. Columbus Crew	7:00 PM
July 30	Inter Miami vs. Atlas	7:30 PM
July 31	Chivas Guadalajara vs. RBNY	7:30 PM
Aug 1	NYCFC vs. Club Leon	6:00 PM

Tiebreakers for teams level on points will be applied sequentially: wins, goal difference, goals scored, goals conceded, and fair play points.