2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Paul Berry, Oct 2, 2025.

  1. harrylee773

    harrylee773 Member+

    Palermo
    Jul 28, 2004
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #1376 harrylee773, May 16, 2026
    Last edited: May 16, 2026
    Not saying they should or should not complain- the contract was collectively bargained and agreed to so it’s moot. Point is, saying that the salary cap exists to ensure parity is, even as an opinion, untrue.

    It exists so that instead of raising that minimum to provide a little more for the average NFL player, who has an average career of maybe 3 or 4 years and has to dedicate an insane amount of their time to keep from falling to the fringes of the UFL or Canada or out of the sport entirely, the owners can pocket some more. It exists so that the superstar player at the top of their game will renegotiate to a team-friendly contract to allow a free agent to sign and go on a title run so that the owners can pocket the maximum collectively allowed. It ensures, to an extent, parity of labor costs, but doesn’t seem to ensure parity of performance- just as there are the Patriots and Chiefs of the league, there are also the Browns and the Jets.

    It is way off topic to litigate who has the right to complain about what, and that’s not my intent, I just find it an interesting contradiction when people (not you specifically - I don’t follow the forum that closely to know your ethos outside of the last few comments) praise owners for being smart businesspeople only to then claim they’re doing something for the sake of parity - they fight for salary caps, as they are supposed to as businesspeople, for the sake of profits- they want cost certainty, anything else is a side effect.
     
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  2. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    This is what you quoted of me saying this is wrong. The one that is wrong is you or you simply are unaware. The talent pool from the NFL is mainly limited to the US. Most players come via college. Few, very few, come from other countries that play American football but that's very limited, as we, the US, is the country that has this sport as the main sport. It's why you see dynasties in the NFL because if you happen to have a few of the best players in the NFL there is no one that can counter that as there isn't any other place to bring in better or equal quality players. It's why salary caps and parity is needed in the NFL otherwise whoever pays the most will have the best players and win all the time.

    Soccer is a worldwide sport. You can find players in every Continent, every country, in every division of those countries and you can develop your own players via academies something the NFL doesn't have. Kids as young as 15-18 years old are also an option, that's another thing where the NFL is limited. The talent pool for soccer is simply worldwide since it's the most popular sport in the world. If you fail to see that then I can't help you.
     
  3. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid


    To no surprise to anyone Tigres, Toluca, America, Cruz Azul, Pumas and Chivas are all qualified to the 2027 CCC. Same group as this year except Chivas is replacing Monterrey.

    This is getting predictable. I'm not wrong when I say Liga MX just has 6-8 good teams. Which is still a good number considering it's only an 18 team league.

    I'll throw in my 2028 CCC Liga MX predictions; same group as in 2026 and 2027 but Monterrey will replace Pumas or Toluca.
     
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  4. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Screenshot_20260518-135801.png
    Gridlines are at US $5M
     
  5. DGreat

    DGreat Moderator
    Staff Member

    CD Guadalajara
    Mexico
    Oct 5, 2007
    El Ombligo
    Club:
    CD Chivas de Guadalajara
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Not quite, It just looks like that because of the split seasons. Atlas, Leon, Pachuca were the participants 1 or 2 seasons ago. I could say the same for MLS, it's been Inter Miami, LA Galaxy, Sounders, Columbus Crew, LAFC on constant rotation.
     
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  6. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nah, the Galaxy had an 8-tournament qualifying drought between 2016 and 2025, Columbus missed 9 in a row between 2011 and 2020. There were a lot of repeat qualifiers (6) from 2025 to 2026, but that's unusually high.
     
  7. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    You including Lesgues Cup which pumps up that number. If Liga MX gets those 3 extra spots the next in line would be Monterrey, Pachuca and Tijuna as the "new" entry we haven't seen in a while. Yes, I know LC depends a lot on who places 3rd, 2nd and 1st. I'm just going off by the aggregate Liga MX table. It's going to be very rare we see any other Liga MX team aside from the usual 8.
     
  8. Nico Limmat

    Nico Limmat Member+

    Oct 24, 1999
    Dubai, UAE
    Club:
    Grasshopper Club Zürich
    Nat'l Team:
    Switzerland
    As recently as 2023, you had León and Atlas in the competition. León - of course - won the whole thing. León played four CCL/C in a row between 2020 and 2023. Santos played as recently as 2022.

    Things aren't that static in Liga MX. Let's see what kind of Atlante returns to the league.
     
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  9. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    Raleigh NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Plus Nashville, the Union, and a Canadian club

    San Diego is one for one in terms of qualifying.
     
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  10. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    PPG (LMX/MLS) since 2020

    Club América 1.92
    Cruz Azul 1.79
    CF Monterrey 1.74
    Tigres UANL 1.7

    San Diego FC 1.67
    Philadelphia Union 1.64
    Deportivo Toluca 1.57
    Los Angeles FC (LAFC) 1.57
    Seattle Sounders FC 1.55
    New York City FC (NYCFC) 1.54
    Nashville SC 1.54
    Columbus Crew 1.53
    Guadalajara (Chivas) 1.51
    Inter Miami CF 1.5
    New England Revolution 1.5
    Real Salt Lake 1.47
    FC Cincinnati 1.46
    Pachuca 1.45
    Orlando City SC 1.43
    Minnesota United FC 1.42
    New York Red Bulls 1.41
    Pumas UNAM 1.38
    Portland Timbers 1.37
    LA Galaxy 1.35
    León 1.34
    Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1.34
    Colorado Rapids 1.33
    FC Dallas 1.33
    CF Montréal 1.31
    St. Louis CITY SC 1.3
    Charlotte FC 1.29
    Sporting Kansas City 1.27
    Atlanta United FC 1.27
    Santos Laguna 1.23
    Houston Dynamo FC 1.23
    San Jose Earthquakes 1.2
    Puebla 1.18
    Atlas 1.16

    Austin FC 1.16
    Chicago Fire FC 1.13
    D.C. United 1.12
    Atlético San Luis 1.1
    Club Tijuana 1.04
    Necaxa 1.01
    Mazatlán 0.97
    FC Juárez 0.94
    Querétaro 0.86
     
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  11. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Austin, Red Bulls, NYCFC, Portland.....
     
  12. STR1

    STR1 Member+

    Atlanta United
    United States
    May 29, 2010
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    #1387 STR1, May 18, 2026
    Last edited: May 18, 2026
    That was when there were 4 teams from Liga MX only. Now with 6 there are more possibilities of some playing every year.

    It will interesting to see how many times MLS teams also repeat and/or play multiple years if we only count the 6 that qualify from each league (excluding Leagues Cup as that will throw numbers off no mater which teams they are and from what league).

    For 2027 CCC Tigres and America will be their 4th consecutive CCC appearance after the new format change.

    Cruz Azul, Pumas, Monterrey and Toluca have qualified 3 out of the last 4 CCC. In 2027 Chivas will have their 3rd appearance since format changed.

    Pachuca has had 2 appearance only.

    Zero first timers since format changed for Liga MX so far.

    The 2027 CCC MLS teams have not yet been determined so this is from 2024-2026. For MLS (excluding LC teams);

    Vancouver Whitecaps has had 3 consecutive CCC appearance. Due to Canadian Championship. In 2026 CCC they qualified via MLS though. FC Cincinnati is the other MLS team that has qualified to all of the 3 CCC played so far, pending 2027.

    Inter Miami has qualified to 2 out of the last 3 CCC.

    Columbus Crew, LA Galaxy, LAFC, St. Louis, Orlando, New England, Houston, RSL, Seattle, SKC, Philadelphia, San Diego and Nashville have qualified only once in the last 3 editions, 2027 still pending.

    Now, what's helping MLS is the fact that the USOC winner is a team that didn't participate in the year's CCC. So from MLS side that will be a "new" team each time which on paper makes it seem that MLS isn't "static". In Liga MX there isn't a domestic cup where the teams that didn't qualify to CCC get to play on it and the winner qualifies to CCC. That would've helped Liga MX not seem that it's looking like an 8 league team, at least on paper.
     
  13. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS South Division

    America, Cruz Azul, Monterrey, Tigres, Chivas, Pumas, Pachuca, Leon, Toluca, Atlante (Puebla? Tijuana?)
     
  14. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You already have that but it's along the way to a team that can contend for Champions League.
     
  15. Nico Limmat

    Nico Limmat Member+

    Oct 24, 1999
    Dubai, UAE
    Club:
    Grasshopper Club Zürich
    Nat'l Team:
    Switzerland
    CONCACAF W Champions Cup

    Final Four in Pachuca - Semis:


    Club América - Gotham FC 4:1
    Washington Spirit - Pachuca 1:0

    Final: Club América - Washington Spirit
     
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  16. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    You that criticize Leagues Cup, is this format fair?
     
  17. jared9999

    jared9999 Member+

    Jan 3, 2005
    Naucalpan Estado de Mex
    Club:
    Club América
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    It’s on neutral ground, the final is in Pachuca, amirite @Nico Limmat ? :D
     
  18. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    But when Colorado plays America in LA or Portland vs America in Austin with more C America fans still complain.
     
  19. ThreeApples

    ThreeApples Member+

    Jul 28, 1999
    Smurf Village
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Starting next year the women's tournament will be a similar format to the men's, with fewer teams and rounds. Home and away knockout, then single game final hosted by the team with the most points in the previous rounds.
     
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  20. DGreat

    DGreat Moderator
    Staff Member

    CD Guadalajara
    Mexico
    Oct 5, 2007
    El Ombligo
    Club:
    CD Chivas de Guadalajara
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Looks to be more cost/budget effective. I’m sure if the draw for women we’re similar to the men they would do a home away series
     
  21. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    I am agree with that,
     
  22. AZUL GALAXY

    AZUL GALAXY Member+

    Aug 28, 2009
    Los Angeles
    Club:
    CDSC Cruz Azul
    But for the eyes of some people that’s excusable but for the men’s tournament they focus only is the sporting side and not in the business side.
     
  23. Stan Collins

    Stan Collins Member+

    Feb 26, 1999
    Silver Spring, MD
    Good layout. Brings home the idea that LMX has less parity than MLS, but probably more than a typical European league (Man City had 2.24 ppg since 2020/21, and I'd bet that Madrid, Bayern, PSV, PSG, et al would be as high or more).
     
  24. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Of course it isn’t.

    In the same way that I don’t see the Galaxy and DC’s Champions League wins as legitimate, the women’s titles won under this format will have to have a massive asterisk going forward.
     
  25. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just like the current CCC, it takes a while to build any tournament in CONCACAF because revenue isn't abundant for any tournament day one.
     

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