On Tuesday, Major League Soccer announced the schedule and format for the 2026 Leagues Cup. Nashville SC will participate for the first time since the 2024 season. The tournament will begin on August 4 and run through September 6.
Format
The tournament will be split into two phases: Phase One and the knockout round. Teams will be split into three tiers to organize Phase One: Tier 1 – teams ranked 1-3 from each league; Tier 2 – teams ranked 4-6 from each league, and; Tier 3 – teams ranked 7-9 from each league.
From the official tournament explainer:
Phase One Matchups: Each club will play three matches against the three opponents from the opposite league within their set. Leagues Cup Phase One matches are determined by the Leagues Cup Ranking, as well as by region.
Points System: While competing on the field against teams from the opposite league, MLS and Liga MX teams will be competing in a league-specific table against the teams from their own league. New to this format, clubs will earn points within their league-specific tables. For example, an MLS club's win earns points in the Leagues Cup MLS table, while a LIGA MX win contributes to the Leagues Cup.
The top four (4) clubs from each Leagues Cup league-specific table advance to the Quarterfinals. The tables were designed to ensure more interleague matches into the Knockout Rounds.
After Phase One, the top four teams from each league will advance to the knockout rounds, which will start in the quarterfinal phase and follow a single-elimination format through the final.
As always, there are no draws in Leagues Cup. If a match in Phase One is tied at regulation, both teams will earn a point but the game will go to a penalty kick shootout. The winner of the shootout will earn an additional point (two points total) towards the table.
Teams
All 18 Liga MX sides are included, as well as all 18 MLS clubs who qualified for the playoffs last season.
LIGA MX clubs
- Atlas FC
- Club América
- Atlético de San Luis
- Club Guadalajara
- Cruz Azul
- FC Juárez
- Club León
- Mazatlán FC
- CF Monterrey
- Club Necaxa
- CF Pachuca
- Club Puebla
- Pumas UNAM
- Club Querétaro
- Santos Laguna
- Tigres UANL
- Club Tijuana
- Toluca FC
MLS clubs
- Austin FC
- Charlotte FC
- Chicago Fire FC
- FC Cincinnati
- Columbus Crew
- FC Dallas
- Inter Miami CF
- LAFC
- Minnesota United FC
- Nashville SC
- New York City FC
- Orlando City SC
- Philadelphia Union
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Diego FC
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
What's at stake?
Three spots in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup are on the line. The two finalists will qualify for the tournament, as well as the winner of the third-place match.
While no official announcements regarding prize money in 2026 have been made, the haul was substantial in past editions. In 2023, the prize pot was around $40 million in total, with the winning club set to earn $2 million.
Nashville's history
Nashville SC made it to the first Leagues Cup final in 2023, knocking off Liga MX gigantes like Club América and CF Monterrey at Geodis Park. They eventually fell to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the final, losing in the 11th round of a penalty shootout after a dramatic 1-1 draw.
Ben Wright
Their second entry into the tournament was less spectacular, losing 2-0 to Mazatlán in BJ Callaghan's first match as head coach, and eliminated in the group stage after a 1-1 draw in New England.
