Leagues Cup 2024 bracket, schedule, standings as Lionel Messi, Inter Miami aim to defend MLS vs Liga MX title
Lionel Messi and Inter Miami look to defend their Leagues Cup title in 2024 as the competition enters the second year of its existence.
The Leagues Cup debuted in 2023, as both Major League Soccer and Liga MX clubs took a break from domestic league action to contest a knockout competition against one another.
Messi helped the Leagues Cup explode onto the U.S. soccer scene, leading Inter Miami to its first ever trophy as he made his club debut in the competition and pushed the team to silverware in dramatic fashion.
Now, details for the 2024 competition have been released as the two North American leagues have come together to tweak the format and layout of the tournament, hoping to build a response to criticism from last season’s inaugural edition.
The Sporting News brings you the groups, fixtures, and schedule for this year’s Leagues Cup as 46 clubs hope to dethrone Messi and Inter Miami.
MORE: How does the 2024 Leagues Cup work? A full breakdown of the new format with latest tweaks
How to watch 2024 Leagues Cup
As was the case in 2023, all Leagues Cup matches across the entirety of the tournament will stream on MLS Season Pass for all subscribers across the world.
In the United States, select matches will be broadcast on FOX Sports, while TSN and RDS will have select games for air on TV in Canada. For those games, FOX and FS1 are available to stream on Fubo USA, while TSN and RDS are available to stream on Fubo Canada.
There will also be Spanish-language broadcasts of select matches in the USA, with that channel also available on Fubo.
Leagues Cup 2024 schedule, format
The 2024 Leagues Cup will proceed largely as it did in its inaugural 2023 season, with a few format tweaks.
As was the case in its first year, all 47 teams from across the United States, Canada, and Mexico (29 from MLS and 18 from Liga MX) will take part in the tournament, first contesting a group stage before a 32-team knockout bracket determines the eventual winner.
The group stage consists of 45 teams, with the previous year’s league champions from both leagues — Columbus Crew and Club America — earning a bye to the knockout round. All other clubs were arranged into 15 groups of three by a selection process that included ranking the clubs into three tiers and crafting groups with one club from each tier, with geographical proximity taken into account.
The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout round, with all group matches played across 90 minutes. Three points are awarded for a win and one point for a draw, but with one additional quirk: all matches ending in a draw proceed to a penalty shootout, whereby the winner earns an additional point, much like the NHL.
Once the knockout-round bracket is set, play proceeds as usual in single-elimination competition until a winner is crowned, with a spot in next year’s CONCACAF Champions Cup on the line.
| Round | Dates | Teams |
| Group Stage | Jul. 26-Aug 6 | 47 |
| Round of 32 | Aug. 7-9 | 32 |
| Round of 16 | Aug. 12-13 | 16 |
| Quarterfinals | Aug. 16-17 | 8 |
| Semifinals | Aug. 20-21 | 4 |
| 3rd Place / Final | Sun, Aug. 25 | 4 |
Leagues Cup 2024 standings, fixtures, results
Group Stage
The group stage of the 2024 Leagues Cup features 15 groups of three teams each, broken apart by East and West, crafted with geographical proximity in mind.
Hosting Rights
Unlike 2023, when group matches were contested in a single location, this year the MLS clubs will nearly all host group matches against Mexican opposition at their own stadiums, which will increase travel significantly for many Liga MX teams who have to travel across the U.S. to face multiple MLS sides.
Matches between two MLS clubs will be hosted by the higher-ranked side. Meanwhile, the four highest-ranked Liga MX clubs will have “hosting privileges,” having earned limited travel through specific rounds of play. Those four sides are:
| Club | Rank | Venue 1 | Venue 2 | Thru Round |
| Club America | 1 | Snapdragon Stadium (San Diego, CA) |
— | Semifinals |
| Monterrey | 2 | Q2 Stadium (Austin, TX) |
— | Round of 16 |
| Chivas Guadalajara | 5 | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson, CA) |
Round of 32 |
| Tigres | 8 | Shell Energy (Houston, TX) |
NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
Group Stage |
That’s fine, until you look a little closer — Monterrey are in a group with Austin FC, whose home stadium is their “host” venue, meaning they’re essentially the road team for that game, and same goes for Chivas whose second match against the LA Galaxy will be played at their “host” venue of Dignity Health Sports Park, which is the Galaxy’s home stadium.
The lack of travel is nice and all, but they’re still basically playing on the road.
East 1 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | FC Cincinnati | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | NYCFC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Queretaro | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 1 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 28 | 8 p.m. | NYCFC vs. Queretaro | Yankee Stadium (New York City, NY) |
| Aug. 1 | 8 p.m. | FC Cincinnati vs. Queretaro | TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH) |
| Aug. 5 | 8 p.m. | FC Cincinnati vs. NYCFC | TQL Stadium (Cincinnati, OH) |
East 2 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Orlando City | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Atletico de San Luis | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | CF Montreal | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 2 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 26 | 8 p.m. | Orlando City vs. CF Montreal | Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, FL) |
| Jul. 30 | 7 p.m. | CF Montreal vs. Atletico de San Luis | Stade Saputo (Montreal, Canada) |
| Aug. 4 | 8 p.m. | Orlando City vs. Atletico de San Luis | Inter&Co Stadium (Orlando, FL) |
East 3 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Tigres | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Puebla | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Inter Miami | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 3 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 8 p.m. | Inter Miami vs. Puebla | Chase Stadium (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) |
| Jul. 31 | 9:30 p.m. | Tigres vs. Puebla | Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Aug. 3 | 8 p.m. | Tigres vs. Inter Miami | NRG Stadium (Houston, TX) |
East 4 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Philadelphia Union | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Charlotte FC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Cruz Azul | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 4 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 8 p.m. | Philadelphia vs. Charlotte | Subaru Park (Chester, PA) |
| Jul. 31 | 8 p.m. | Charlotte vs. Cruz Azul | Bank of America Stadium (Charlotte, NC) |
| Aug. 4 | 8 p.m. | Philadelphia vs. Cruz Azul | Subaru Park (Chester, PA) |
East 5 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | New England Rev. | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Nashville SC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Mazatlan | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 5 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 8 p.m. | New England vs. Mazatlan | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
| Jul. 31 | 9 p.m. | Nashville SC vs. Mazatlan | GEODIS Park (Nashville, TN) |
| Aug. 6 | 7:30 p.m. | New England vs. Nashville | Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA) |
East 6 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Pachuca | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | NY Red Bulls | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Toronto FC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 6 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 8 p.m. | NY Red Bulls vs. Toronto FC | Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ) |
| Jul. 30 | 8 p.m. | NY Red Bulls vs. Pachuca | Red Bull Arena (Harrison, NJ) |
| Aug. 4 | 8 p.m. | Toronto FC vs. Pachuca | BMO Field (Toronto, Canada) |
East 7
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Atlanta United | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Santos Laguna | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | DC United | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
East 7 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 26 | 8 p.m. | Atlanta United vs. DC United | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
| Jul. 31 | 8 p.m. | DC United vs. Santos Laguna | Audi Field (Washington, DC) |
| Aug. 4 | 4 p.m. | Atlanta United vs. Santos Laguna | Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Atlanta, GA) |
West 1 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Monterrey | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Pumas | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Austin FC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 1 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 26 | 9 p.m. | Austin FC vs. Pumas | Q2 Stadium (Austin, TX) |
| Jul. 30 | 9 p.m. | Monterrey vs. Austin FC | Q2 Stadium (Austin, TX) |
| Aug. 3 | 10 p.m. | Monterrey vs. Pumas | Q2 Stadium (Austin, TX) |
West 2 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Chivas Guadalajara | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | San Jose Earthquakes | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | LA Galaxy | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 2 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 10 p.m. | Chivas vs. San Jose | Levi’s Stadium (Santa Clara, CA) |
| Jul. 31 | 10:30 p.m. | San Jose vs. LA Galaxy | PayPal Park (San Jose, CA) |
| Aug. 4 | 10:30 p.m. | Chivas vs. LA Galaxy | Dignity Health Sports Park (Santa Clara, CA) |
West 3 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | St. Louis City | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | FC Dallas | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Juarez | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 3 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 9 p.m. | St. Louis City vs. FC Dallas | CITYPARK (St. Louis, MO) |
| Jul. 31 | 9 p.m. | FC Dallas vs. Juarez | Toyota Stadium (Frisco, TX) |
| Aug. 4 | 9 p.m. | St. Louis City vs. Juarez | CITYPARK (St. Louis, MO) |
West 4 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Toluca | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Sporting KC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Chicago Fire | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 4 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 28 | 9 p.m. | Sporting KC vs. Chicago Fire | Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City, MO) |
| Aug. 1 | 9 p.m. | Chicago Fire vs. Toluca | SeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, IL) |
| Aug. 5 | 9 p.m. | Sporting KC vs. Toluca | Children’s Mercy Park (Kansas City, MO) |
West 5 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Club Leon | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Portland Timbers | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Colorado Rapids | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 5 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 28 | 10:30 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. Club Leon | Providence Park (Portland, OR) |
| Aug. 1 | 10:30 p.m. | Portland Timbers vs. Colorado Rapids | Providence Park (Portland, OR) |
| Aug. 5 | 9 p.m. | Colorado Rapids vs. Club Leon | Dicks Sporting Goods Park (Commerce City, CO) |
West 6 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Seattle Sounders | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Minnesota United | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Necaxa | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 6 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 26 | 10 p.m. | Seattle Sounders vs. Minnesota United | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
| Jul. 30 | 9 p.m. | Minnesota United vs. Necaxa | Allianz Field (Saint Paul, MN) |
| Aug. 4 | 10:30 p.m. | Seattle Sounders vs. Necaxa | Lumen Field (Seattle, WA) |
West 7 schedule
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | LAFC | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Vancouver Whitecaps | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Tijuana | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 7 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 26 | 11 p.m. | LAFC vs. Tijuana | BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) |
| Jul. 30 | 10:30 p.m. | LAFC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps | BMO Stadium (Los Angeles, CA) |
| Aug. 3 | 10 p.m. | Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Tijuana | BC Place (Vancouver, Canada) |
West 8 standings
| Pos | Team | GP | Pts | W-D-L | GD |
| 1. | Houston Dynamo | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 2. | Real Salt Lake | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
| 3. | Atlas | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 |
West 8 fixtures
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Jul. 27 | 8 p.m. | Houston Dynamo vs. Atlas | Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, TX) |
| Aug. 1 | 9 p.m. | RSL vs. Atlas | America First Field (Sandy, UT) |
| Aug. 5 | 9 p.m. | Houston Dynamo vs. RSL | Shell Energy Stadium (Houston, TX) |
Knockout Stage
One new feature of the 2024 Leagues Cup is the “hub” system to give deserving Liga MX clubs a softer travel burden. The highest-ranking Liga MX clubs in the Leagues Cup tiered system are given “hosting rights” through various stages of the knockout bracket, seeing them designated with a “host city” that allows the club to avoid traveling up to a certain point should they reach deeper into the knockout round.
Club America have “hub” rights through the semifinal, Monterrey have “hub” rights through the Round of 16, Chivas have “hub” rights through the Round of 32, and Tigres have “hub” rights for the group stage. Each club will be designated a city in which they may remain through their maximum stage before having to travel to the home city of a potential MLS opponent.
Round of 32
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M1: Club America vs. 2nd, West 8 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M2: 2nd, West 3 vs. 1st, West 5 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M3: 1st, West 4 vs. 1st, West 8 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M4: 2nd, West 5 vs. 1st, West 3 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M5: 1st, West 2 vs. 2nd, West 6 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M6: 2nd, West 1 vs. 1st, West 7 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M7: 1st, West 6 vs. 2nd, West 2 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M8: 2nd, West 7 vs. 1st, West 1 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M9: 1st, East 1 vs. 2nd, East 7 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M10: 2nd, East 2 vs. 1st, East 4 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M11: 1st, East 7 vs. 2nd, East 5 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M12: 2nd, East 4 vs. 1st, East 2 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M13: 1st, East 3 vs. 2nd, East 6 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M14: 2nd, East 1 vs. 1st, East 5 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M15: 1st, East 6 vs. 2nd, East 3 | |
| Aug. 7-9 | TBD | M16: 2nd, West 4 vs. Columbus Crew |
Round of 16
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M1: Winner, M1 vs. Winner, M2 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M2: Winner, M3 vs. Winner, M4 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M3: Winner, M5 vs. Winner, M6 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M4: Winner, M7 vs. Winner, M8 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M5: Winner, M9 vs. Winner, M10 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M6: Winner, M11 vs. Winner, M12 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M7: Winner, M13 vs. Winner, M14 | |
| Aug. 12-13 | TBD | M8: Winner, M15 vs. Winner, M16 |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 16-17 | TBD | QF1: Winner, M1 vs. Winner, M2 | |
| Aug. 16-17 | TBD | QF2: Winner, M3 vs. Winner, M4 | |
| Aug. 16-17 | TBD | QF3: Winner, M5 vs. Winner, M6 | |
| Aug. 16-17 | TBD | QF4: Winner, M7 vs. Winner, M8 |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 20 | TBD | SF1: Winner, QF1 vs. Winner, QF2 | |
| Aug. 21 | TBD | SF2: Winner, QF3 vs. Winner, QF4 |
Third Place
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 25 | TBD | Loser, SF1 vs. Loser, SF2 |
Final
| Date | Time (ET) | Match | Location |
| Aug. 25 | TBD | Winner, SF1 vs. Winner, SF2 |
