What? You can't be serious. In fact, if you factor in LigaMX's propensity to draw large crowds to MLS stadiums (made up of fans in the US and Mexico), you probably shouldn't consider MLS to have any home-field advantage whatsoever! And since when did "home field advantage" make you a guaranteed winner?
Home field advantage is more than just the number of fans and not every Liga Mx team attracts large numbers of fans in the US. A handful do.
Matches (16) between MLS and Liga MX: 03/02 | San Diego - Pumas UNAM 19,133 10/02 | Pumas UNAM - San Diego 11,934 10/03 | Philadelphia - Club America 18,534 11/03 | San Diego - Toluca 20,652 12/03 | Cincinnati - Tigres UANL 9,257 18/03 | Club America - Philadelphia 15,841 18/03 | Toluca - San Diego 23,322 19/03 | Tigres UANL - Cincinnati 30,000* 07/04 | LAFC - Cruz Azul 17,521 07/04 | Nashville - Club America 27,167 08/04 | Toluca - LA Galaxy 27,035 08/04 | Tigres UANL - Seattle 37,641 14/04 | Club America - Nashville 28,994 14/04 | Cruz Azul - LAFC 24,965** 15/04 | LA Galaxy - Toluca 15,473 15/04 | Seattle - Tigres UANL 17,690 *Not announced. Conservative estimate. **In Puebla (not Mexico City) Average Total: 21,572 Average (USA): 18,178 Average (MEX): 24,967 For reference, the 2025 Leagues Cup - where 59 out 62 matches were between MLS and Liga MX, drew an average of 17,065.
What happened at Cincinnati? 19,133 (San Diego) 18,534 (Philadelphia) 20,652 (San Diego) 9,257 (Cincinnati) 17,521 (LAFC) 27,167 (Nashville) 15,473 (LA Galaxy) 17,690 (Seattle)
The Whitecaps loved it last year. Had the final gone to penalties, they could have won the whole thing without beating a Liga MX opponent in a standalone match (statistically speaking). Indeed. The crowd is certainly a factor too, but travel weighs much heavier.
The CCC seems to struggle in Ohio. In 2024, when the Crew made the final, they only drew 8,587 against Tigres in the quarterfinals.
i would say crowd + familiarity + less travel - fewer distractions = home field advantage Im looking forward to 10 years from now when supercomputers have documented all of those factors down to the third decimal point.
I've opted out of every LC home game that the Sounders have scheduled on my season ticket account and told my rep that I won't buy until the tournament has full parity home and away. The organizers seem to be listening with the addition of some away games in Mexico. Not enough for me but maybe we'll get there eventually.
It's a huge part. Most teams aren't crossing time zones, and playing in front of your own supporters is a huge part of it. I just don't buy it. MLS crowds are generally just not very similar to LigaMX crowds because the sport doesn't mean nearly as much culturally, and that completely changes the atmosphere and pressure under which players play. You can pretend that a 1.5 hour charter flight, 5 star hotel, and no time zone change is suddenly a huge disadvantage all you want. Unless you're playing in notoriously poor conditions, the environments surrounding MLS and Liga MX teams going to each other's stadiums are bubbles of meticulously planned luxury. This isn't Oregon Trail. Once those conditions are equalized, what matters is the game atmosphere, stadium elevation (occasionally), weather, and field conditions.
We're comparing Liga Mx and MLS teams. It seems fair that when you're comparing Liga MX and MLS teams that you only use Liga MX and MLS teams.
But if he compares only the best and popular Liga MX teams vs all Liga MX teams the included the unpopular Liga MX teams that don’t draw much.
I have been a vocal critic of the Leagues Cup (much to the irritation of some), but there is a reasonable compromise between maximum commercial squeeze and best-case sporting integrity. The solution is an equal split of hosting in the elimination rounds, once CCC spots are on the line. Meaning quarterfinals, semis, third place, and final. This only affects a handful of matches, and you can continue playing the entire league stage in the US and Canada. Is your argument that decibels from the stands weigh heavier than the actual physical strain of travel and the lack of familiarity/routine that goes with it? Because I just don't see it. But don't take it from me, Liga MX players have gone on record multiple times complaining about the one-sided travel requirements of the Leagues Cup. Everyone can draw their own conclusions, but right now MLS vs. Liga MX matches in the CCC outdraw those of the carefully engineered Leagues Cup. With the latter benefitting from the MLS hype machine and season ticket inclusion.
I also ran the MLS vs. Liga MX attendance numbers for the 2024 and 2025 CCC. 2024 CCC Average Total: 24,243 Average (USA/CAN): 13,663* Average (MEX): 33,648 *Included Vancouver playing in Langford (Vancouver Island) due to a scheduling conflict. 2025 CCC Average Total: 19,119 Average (USA/CAN): 15,509 Average (MEX): 22,127* *Included Monterrey playing in Torreón due to a Shakira concert.
And probably there was more revenue from tickets in the games in USA/ Canada) than the games in Mexico even with less average attendance, that’s why Gold Cup is played in USA only.
Players get comfortable with their "home" environment. That includes knowing the staff, knowing which way to turn when the get in the stadium, having their jersey on the correct peg, having the more comfortable locker room, have PT tables, familiar food and drink available, knowing the vagaries of the bounce on the pitch, knowing what to expect from their supporters. Players tend to have pre-match routines and there are things that affect them. The was a manager in England (John Beck) who used to pipe loud music into the away dressing room, and they would turn the heating full on or off. There was a rugby ground where the away dressing room was a cramped loft above the stadium, with broken windows and only a cold bath to use after the match. Things aren't that extreme these days but it all adds up. And we've all heard stories of what happens to players on trips to Mexico and Central America.
Here's my take. Do I think that Liga MX teams have "home-field advantage" playing in the States because of the crowds? No. Do I think they're at a disadvantage if they're the home team in their hub stadium and the MLS team is also traveling? Also no. So, the example I think of for obvious reasons, Club America was not at a disadvantage when they hosted and then lost to the Rapids in LA two years ago. Both teams were away from home and CA had the heavy crowd support.
That may very well be, but now you are moving the proverbial goalpost. Your initial statement was the following: Once we started to compare like-for-like matches, it turns out that isn't the case. In spite of the following (built-in) Leagues Cup advantages: Advance schedule certainty (league stage) Multiple fanbases per match (MLS home fans and Liga MX diaspora) MLS promotional efforts not given to the CCC MLS season ticket inclusion Timing/summer break
You have good points, but also for a fair comparison just compare the attendance for the 6 Liga Mx teams in CCC vs Leagues Cup.
The 6 Liga MX clubs in this year's CCC (Pumas, America, Cruz Azul, Toluca, Tigres, Monterrey) drew an average of 17,464 per game in 20 matches in the 2025 Leagues Cup. Still well below the CCC when it comes to MLS vs. Liga MX matches. And - forgot to mention it earlier - the CCC does it without weekend matches (other than the final).