PREFACE: Beyond 2022 promises to be an interesting year with an expanded Leagues Cup, a new Second Division Women’s League, and an expanded Concacaf Champions League. Now the details:
EXPANDED LEAGUES CUP PLANNED: Major League Soccer and Liga MX announced plans to re-format and expand the Leagues Cup starting in 2023 to include all (soon-to-be) 29 MLS clubs and 18 Liga MX clubs in a month-long tournament, which has Concacaf’s blessing. The tournament champion would go straight through to the Round of 16 in the ensuing Concacaf Champions League and the second and third place teams entering the opening round.
“The new Leagues Cup with every club in MLS and LIGA MX competing in an intense, month-long, tournament will establish new standards for what is possible between our two leagues, and further showcase our players and clubs to a global audience,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “Since its launch 3½ years ago, our partnership with LIGA MX has grown quickly and the competition has brought out the best in both of us. On the path to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico, this is the perfect moment to produce a tournament that will elevate the profile of Concacaf and showcase the incredible passion our region has for soccer played at the highest level.”
More details will be announced in the coming months. The Final of the 2021 Leagues Cup between Seattle Sounders FC and Leon will take place in Las Vegas on Wednesday.
NEW SUPER LEAGUE ANNOUNCED: No, it’s not a new European League. United Soccer Leagues (USL) announced a new Division II Super League set to launch in 2023 as well. The league has the objective of doubling the number of professional women’s soccer teams in the United States when its inaugural season begins in 2023.
The USL women’s pathway now includes the Girls Super Y League, the Girls USL Academy, the women’s pre-professional USL W League which kicks off next year, and the women’s professional USL Super League. The USL Super League will apply for Division II sanctioning from U.S. Soccer in the coming months.
The top flight NWSL currently has ten teams and will eventually expand to at least 12 with the arrivals of Angel City FC of Los Angeles and San Diego next season.
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE EXPANDING IN 2024: The winner of the 2023 Leagues Cup would enter into an expanded Concacaf Champions League in 2024. The competition will expand to 27 teams with 22 entering an Opening Round and five going straight to the Round of 16. The breakdown for the Opening Round will be as follows:
- 4 x MLS clubs
- 2 x Leagues Cup clubs (runner-up and third-place team)
- 5 x Liga MX clubs
- 2 x Canadian Premier League clubs
- 1 x U.S. Open Cup winner
- 1 x Canadian Championship winner
- 5 x Central America Cup clubs (runner-up, two losing semifinalists and two play-in winners)
- 2 x Caribbean Cup (second-place and third-place finishers
The champions of MLS, Liga MX, the 2023 Leagues Cup, the Central American Cup, and the Caribbean Cup will all get free passes to the Round of 16. Each round will be a home-and-away series up until the Final which will be a one-off at a single location.
MLS
