December 17 – The League Cup will undergo dramatic changes in 2025, according to Liga MX president Mikel Arriola, who spoke to reporters on Sunday after taking over as the league’s acting commissioner following the surprise ouster of Juan Carlos Rodriguez.
The previous two tournaments were played during a self-imposed month-long mid-season break for both Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX teams.
Areola said the tournament would remain a summer event, but matches would now take place during the week, mirroring major European competitions where midweek matches capture prime-time viewers.
Also reducing the number of teams in the MLS competition to 18, Liga MX will see a major change in format and number of participants with an equal number of clubs.
With all matches held in the United States, the burden of travel has been on Mexican teams previously overwhelmed by MLS teams, in contrast to the ongoing failure of MLS clubs to overcome Mexican dominance in CONCACAF’s Champions Cup.
“We have just approved the new League Cup format,” Arriola said. “We’re not going to camp there anymore.”
In 2023, and 2024, all matches were played exclusively in the United States or Canada, forcing some Mexican teams to set up training camps in various hubs across the United States.
“We will play midweek so the Mexican teams don’t fight, and the Liga MX games will be played on the weekend,” Arreola added.
In his annual league address earlier this month, MLS commissioner, Don Gerber, said, “We need more MLS vs. Liga MX matches. That was the start of the League Cup for real. We’re looking at changes that will make it more focused on what we’re trying to achieve, which is this great rivalry between our two leagues.
The first edition in 2023 saw Inter Miami dominate the competition with Lionel Messi at his glorious best. In 2024, the Columbus Crew beat LAFC in the finals.
Dragging the Leagues Cup into the 2025 calendar will be challenging with CONCACAF’s Gold Cup and FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup also taking place in the US next summer.
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