Leagues Cup Returns: What To Know, Predictions For MLS-Liga MX Tournament

The summer of soccer continues after the best World Cup ever. This time, select teams from Major League Soccer and their Liga MX counterparts will kick off the Leagues Cup in the latest edition of the tournament.

Here's what to know as 36 teams featuring star players like Inter Miami's Lionel Messi square off in the Leagues Cup. The action begins on Wednesday with a full slate of games, including the Seattle Sounders taking on Toluca (10 p.m. ET on FS1).

Club America will be one of the Liga MX powerhouses in the Leagues Cup. (Photo by Mauricio Salas/Jam Media/Getty Images)

In all there are 36 teams who'll participate in the Leagues Cup. The tournament will feature 18 of the 30 MLS clubs and all 18 Liga MX squads. The 18 MLS clubs that qualified were based on the 2025 regular season table. Check out the full schedule.

Each team will play three opponents from the other league for a total of 54 MLS vs. Liga MX catchups in the first phase alone. But each league will have its own specific table for this competition. The top four from each table advance to the knockout round.

This year's edition of the Leagues Cup is played in two phases. The tournament uses a no-ties format to ensure a winner in every match: 

• Phase One (Aug. 4–13) — 54 MLS vs. LIGA MX matchups in a round-robin format

• 3 points for a regulation win
• 2 points for a penalty shootout win (after a tie)
• 1 point for a penalty shootout loss

• Knockout Rounds (Aug. 25–Sept. 6)
      - Single-elimination bracket beginning with the quarterfinals and culminating in the final on Sept. 6.

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami will participate in the Leagues Cup. 

Following Argentina's 1-0 defeat to Spain on July 19 at the FIFA World Cup final, Messi took some time off before