On Wednesday, Nashville SC will kick off their 2026 Leagues Cup campaign at Geodis Park. This season marks Nashville's third time playing in the competition, and the sixth season the tournament has been played.
After being played in a more limited format in 2019 and 2021, the tournament was expanded in 2023 to include 18 teams from MLS and all 18 teams from Mexico’s Liga MX, pitting them together in a head-to-head competition.
Here's a quick refresher on how the competition works.
Tournament format
The 2026 Leagues Cup will pit 36 teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX together. All 18 teams from Liga MX will play, while the 18 teams who made the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2025 (nine teams from each conference) will represent MLS.
The tournament is split into two phases: Phase One and the knockout rounds.
Phase One
In Phase One, clubs are divided into two regions – Eastern and Western – with 18 teams in each. Within each region, teams are sorted into tiers based on their ranks in their respective leagues.
- Tier 1: teams ranked 1-3 in each league (six teams total)
- Tier 2: teams ranked 4-6 in each league (six teams total)
- Tier 3: teams ranked 7-9 in each league (six teams total)
In the group stage, teams will play three matches total, each against a team from every tier in the opposite league. During the group stage, there will be no draws: every match that is tied after 90 minutes of regulation will go into a penalty kick shootout. The winner of the shootout will take a total of two points from the match, while the loser will receive one. Additionally, teams will earn the typical three points for a win in regulation and zero for a loss.
Phase One matches will be played between August 4–13.
For the first time ever, Mexico will host matches during the tournament. Previously, the entirety of the competition was played in the United States and Canada, with Liga MX sides on the road for potentially over a month. In 2026, Toluca will host two matches, while Tigres (Monterrey) and Club América (Mexico City) will each host a match.
Knockout rounds
The top four MLS clubs and the top four Liga MX clubs from Phase One will advance to the knockout rounds. All knockout matches are single-elimination, with matches going straight to a penalty shootout if tied after regulation. All of these matches will be hosted by the MLS club.
- Quarterfinals: August 25–27
- Semifinals: September 1–2
- Final & Third-Place Match: September 6
What's at stake?
The tournament champion will take home a grand prize of $2 million. Additionally, the winner will receive an automatic berth in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
Additionally, the runner-up and third-place finisher will also qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
Who does Nashville play?
Nashville SC will play all three of their Phase One matches at Geodis Park. They'll kick off the tournament on Wednesday, August 5 against Club León (Tier 1), currently in 14th place in Liga MX. On Sunday, August 9, they'll take on Atlético San Luis (Tier 3), who enter the tournament in 15th place, before rounding out their Phase One play against powerhouse Monterrey (Tier 1).
Of these three teams, Nashville have only played Monterrey before. The two sides met in August 2023 during Nashville’s run to the final, with the Boys In Gold winning 2-0 thanks to goals from Sam Surridge and Fafà Picault.
Ben Wright
What's the outlook for Nashville?
Nashville's group opponents are pretty favorable, at least on paper. Club León finished in 10th place in the 2026 Clausura, missing the playoffs entirely. They lost their first two matches of the 2026 Apertura, falling 3-2 to Atlante and 1-0 to Tijuana before heading into the Leagues Cup break with a 1-0 win over a Pachuca side who played down a man for nearly the entire second half.
Atlético San Luis are in a similar position. They're winless in their first three Liga MX matches, losing to Cruz Azul and tying Tigres and Tijuana. They have the longest odds to win of any team at the tournament, finishing 14th in the 2026 Clausura with just five wins from 17 matches.
Monterrey are clearly the toughest test of the group stage, but they were a shock underperformer in the spring, finishing in 13th place and missing the playoffs entirely. They've won two of their opening three matches in Liga MX play so far and just added current MLS Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers and Columbus Crew star Diego Rossi to their roster. Fortunately for Nashville, playing them last means that advancement to the knockout rounds could already be secured by the time they face off on August 12.
Who are the favorites?
Unsurprisingly, MLS clubs are heavily favored. With all but four of the 77 matches at the tournament set to be hosted in the United States and Canada, MLS clubs have a built-in advantage.
Inter Miami, the 2023 winners and 2025 runners-up, are the favorites. Per DraftKings, Lionel Messi's side are given +700 odds to win the tournament. 2025 MLS Western Conference champions the Vancouver Whitecaps have the next-best odds at +800, while LAFC (+1000) and Nashville SC (+1200) round out the top four.
Toluca, the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup winners and arguably the best team in North America, are the top-rated Mexican side, with their +1400 odds the seventh-best in the tournament.
2026 Leagues Cup — Winner Odds
American odds
According to the odds, Nashville have possibly the most favorable schedule of any MLS club. Their opponents have combined odds to win of 30,000, and playing Monterrey last is a significant boost.
2026 Leagues Cup — Group Pods by Difficulty
Ranked easiest → hardest, by combined Leagues Cup title odds of the three Liga MX opponents
