The entirety of the soccer world has Friday circled on their calendars. Lionel Messi is slated to make his heralded debut with Inter Miami CF.
For many fans in the U.S. and Mexico, though, the date was circled long before Argentina‘s captain agreed to come to MLS. Friday’s match between Miami and Cruz Azul marks the start of the brand-new Leagues Cup: a monthlong, World Cup-style tournament that pits MLS clubs against their counterparts from Liga MX.
Cesar Hernandez and Megan Swanick break down the tournament, from both sides of the MLS-Liga MX divide, and look ahead to what’s about to unfold in Leagues Cup.
Which teams are best equipped to win Leagues Cup?
For an MLS team to contend in Leagues Cup, a few factors will be key. That includes form, depth, the ability to make use of potential homefield advantage and a club culture with proven success approaching knockout tournaments in Concacaf. The luck of the draw in group opponents and knockout foes does help.
With that in mind, a few MLS clubs may prove successful in terms of making a deep run. St. Louis City SC or FC Cincinnati could turn their runaway league form into equally impactful campaigns in Leagues Cup. The Seattle Sounders have the depth, talent and long-held culture of grasping these milestones first and early. LAFC could seek revenge for a Champions League final loss by making a deep run on rest, as they enter Leagues Cup after a bye in the group stage.
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The team looking most favorably upon each factor, though, appears to be Jim Curtin’s Philadelphia Union. The Union have done well in recent years to make deep runs in Champions League, will have the advantage of Subaru Park, where the side is reliably dangerous, are led by a pragmatic practitioner who knows how to eke out victory the hard way, and contain the depth of talent needed to prevail in the matchups set before them. — Swanick
The easy answers here are talent-heavy Monterrey and Tigres, who have options on their bench that would be designated players in MLS. Expectations are consistently high for both teams and anything outside of a deep run in the knockout round would be seen as a failure.
Club America are also an interesting prospect as well. No matter their postponed start to the season and a forgettable 1W-0D-1L early run, their additions of the brilliant playmaker Julian Quiñones and high-pressing full-back Kevin Alvarez should make them fun to watch.
If we’re talking about form, though, we have to highlight Chivas. They’re three for three in the Apertura and have gained headlines across the country by the immediate influence of young promising Mexican players like Yael Padilla and Juan Brigido. — Hernandez
Has Messi’s arrival overshadowed the competition?
Messi may indeed run the risk of overshadowing deserved recognition of the upcoming incredible matchups, the looming tests of the toughest groups and discussion of the long-term impact of Leagues Cup. Overall, though, the fanfare of his arrival will lend itself toward increased spotlight on Leagues Cup both here and abroad.
That’s especially true if Messi’s arrival is able to make immediate impact, propelling a last-placed Inter Miami side into making a serious Leagues Cup run, then the hot international spotlight will remain. The broader conversation considering the implications of this tournament on MLS (couched within the constant contemplation of Messi’s impact on the league) could spill forth from there. — Swanick
The reality is that most Liga MX teams, if not all, will gladly follow along in the shadow of Messi. The rising tide that has been his introduction to North America will lift all boats, providing heightened interest, intrigue and value in Leagues Cup.
Let’s be real, though: Regardless of Messi’s status as one of the all-time greats in the sport, it’s easy to imagine the rest of his underperforming squad dragging Miami to a less-than-exciting finish in the tournament.
Messi will be the high-profile appetizer that pulls you into the tournament, but once we enter the final stages, the conversation should return to Liga MX vs. MLS instead of simply “Messi’s debut competition with Miami.” — Hernandez
Which group-stage matchups should you get excited about?
I’m going to say Inter Miami vs. Cruz Azul, but my reasons have nothing to do with Messi. What hasn’t been talked about enough — probably because it doesn’t help the hype of the competition — is that both teams are the worst in Liga MX and MLS. They’re dumpster fires, and I’m looking forward to seeing the on-the-field chaos that can unfold.
Outside of that, I’m picking Cincinnati vs. Chivas. The current leaders of the Supporters’ Shield race hosting one of the most popular, if not the most popular, clubs in North America who also happen to be the in-form team in Mexico? Yes, please. Oh, and by the way, Cincy striker Brandon Vazquez just so happened to be a Chivas fan growing up. — Hernandez
While the debut of Messi as Inter Miami meet Cruz Azul is must-watch television, there’s infinitely intriguing matchups going down beyond them. Difficult as it is to select just one, among the most interesting will be the battle of MLS debutantes St. Louis City vs. Liga MX juggernaut and global mainstay Club America.
St. Louis have torn into their debut MLS season collecting results nobody predicted (sitting first in the Western Conference with 41 points) before exuberant crowds many rightly expected. Whether they can translate domestic success to continental competition will be a fascinating test. It’s also a test that encapsulates one of this tournament’s broader questions: what happens when an ascendant MLS side meets a globally recognized Liga MX giant? — Swanick
Will Leagues Cup capture world soccer’s imagination?
The potential is undoubtedly high, especially with the introduction of a certain Argentine superstar in Miami, but the tournament must first prove to be a hit within the local region before thinking of global ambitions. Outside of matches featuring Messi or powerhouse clubs in Liga MX and MLS, Leagues Cup will be an interesting litmus test regarding the soccer appetite of North American fans.
Even with the break in play in both Liga MX and MLS — as well as the major European leagues — will Leagues Cup interest remain high during a summer with the Women’s World Cup, a long list of international friendlies in the U.S. and the recently completed Concacaf Gold Cup and Nations League? — Hernandez
With a healthy conglomeration of global media already gathered in Miami, ready to document the moment Messi meets match time with an MLS club, the eyes of the world will certainly be trained on Leagues Cup for its opening night.
As the groups joust in sets of three before descending into the knockouts (starting with a robust round of 32), the international audience may very well stay attuned. That may hold true particularly within the Americas, where the time zones are amenable, Apple TV+ accessible and local ties to footballers beyond Messi abound.
The format is indeed unique, pitting one proud North American league against another. With captivating storylines, marquee stars and a unique structure, the opportunity to pull in a global audience exists, but will be up to the quality in delivery to keep around. — Swanick
Will the timing of the tournament affect the outcome?
When the Concacaf Champions League gets down to business, and MLS clubs more often than not fail against Liga MX opposition, it’s a common refrain from north of the border that the timing of the competition puts them at a disadvantage. MLS clubs are in their preseasons, or very early stages of their regular seasons, while Liga MX sides are in midseason form.
With MLS in the middle of its season, it’s going to be a little awkward for some in the league if the change in schedule doesn’t make much of an impact in overall results.
That said, it’s not as if Liga MX teams have been sitting around in a prolonged preseason either. The Clausura tournament wrapped up in May, and for playoff finalists Chivas and Tigres, they played through the end of the month.
A few summer transfers have needed time to adjust to their new squads, but overall, a majority of teams haven’t shown any signs of lingering preseason rust in the first three weeks of the Apertura tournament. — Hernandez
For MLS teams vying for a deep run in Concacaf Champions League, the overlapping MLS season has often been a challenge. With both leagues pausing for the full duration of Leagues Cup, that duality of focus is removed.
Notably, it’s removed at a time of year that may prove more beneficial to MLS, with clubs moving (theoretically) in sync halfway through their season. Liga MX sides will be just returning to their season and finding their groove.
The timing (which also sets off at the tail end of this transfer window) allows MLS clubs to further integrate new additions, reinvigorate momentum and come good on midseason form in ways that may indeed propel them further than they’ve managed in the Champions League. — Swanick
