2024 Leagues Cup Tournament Preview

The fourth edition of the Leagues Cup, the second endorsed by Concacaf, kicks off this Friday, July 26, with 18 teams of the Liga MX and 29 of the MLS.

Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami won last year’s title, the first official one according to FIFA statutes, while the Mexicans won the first two tournaments.

The tournament will be played in the United States and Canada and will run until August 25, the date of the final.

2024 Leagues Cup Winner Odds

Tournament format

The tournament has 47 teams, which is the totality of the Mexican and American first-division teams. They will be divided into 15 groups of 3, except for Columbus Crew and América, the champions of each country (in the case of Mexico, which has two tournaments per year, the chosen one is the team that has obtained the most points in the regular phase of the Apertura and Clausura). These teams qualify directly for the next round. In each group, there are teams from both leagues.

Each team will play one match against its group rivals, and the top two will advance to the round of 32. In this tournament, it is not possible to draw in the group stage, so if they tie, they will go to penalties but will not get the same points.

A win in regular time gives three points, a win on penalties gives two, while a loss on penalties gives one. A loss in regular time does not give any points.

Top Contenders

Inter Miami, the current tournament champion and MLS leader, is one of the main candidates. However, they will have to defend their title without Lionel Messi.

The Florida team has shown that it can play well and win without Messi and has other stars, suchas Luis Suarez and Sergio Busquets, among others. They also have to consider the absence of Benjamin Cremaschi and Diego Gomez, who are at the Olympic Games.

On the Mexican side, we must include Club América. The reigning champion of Mexican soccer did not get off to the best start in the league, but it has the players necessary to turn the page as soon as possible. The big drawback has been the absence of Julián Quiñones, who has left for Arabian soccer.

We stay in Liga MX with the most in-form team at present: Cruz Azul. The Máquina, current runner-up in the league, is undefeated with three wins and one draw, scoring nine goals and conceding only one. They brought in the Greek Giorgos Giakoumakis and raised the team’s level.

Outside picks

Los Angeles FC is one of the candidates. They are second in the MLS Western Conference with two points less than the LA Galaxy, but also with two games in hand. Like Messi last year, Olivier Giroud will debut with the team in this tournament, improving an already top squad.

Columbus Crew, the reigning MLS champion, has the best defense in the league, having only conceded 22 goals in 23 games. It is fighting with Inter Miami and Cincinnati for the Eastern Conference lead,and, has a fierce attack with Cucho Hernandez, Diego Rossi, and Christian Ramirez.

Finally, let’s mention Toluca. The Diablos Rojos have two wins and two draws in the Mexican league and have been reinforced with Paulinho, who has just had a great season with Sporting Lisbon, becoming champion of the Portuguese league. In his first four games, he has three goals and one assist.

2024 Leagues Cup Winner Prediction

It is no secret that the last edition of the tournament was played to showcase the MLS new marquee signing to the world, and Messi did what he had to take his team to victory. However, the Argentine will surely miss the event following his injury in the Copa América final.

Even if Inter Miami keeps being a solid team and incorporates another of the Star’s partners in crime, Angel Di María, they seem far from the team that could potentially steam-roll their rivals to a second title in a row of the Leagues Cup. There are better options in the MLS and Liga