Miami, FL (Friday, October 25, 2024)—Concacaf has confirmed important details about the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, the region’s premier competition for men’s clubs. The tournament will take place from February to June and include 27 elite clubs, all competing to become club champions of the Confederation and earn a spot in the next edition of the FIFA Club World Cup and FIFA Intercontinental Cup.
The 60th edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup is shaping up to be a historic one, as some of the region's top teams, including Club America, Guadalajara, and Cruz Azul from Liga MX, Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami FC, Los Angeles’ LAFC and LA Galaxy, and Costa Rican powerhouses Alajuelense and Herediano, have already secured a berth. Of the twenty clubs already qualified, eight are former Concacaf Champions Cup winners (the complete list of qualified clubs is available below).
The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup Draw, which will determine the tournament's bracket and each club's path to the Final, will be conducted on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at 7:00 pm ET. The made-for-tv live event will be widely available for fans across the region and the world to follow and enjoy through Concacaf's YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/concacaf) and the Confederation’s TV partner networks.
The current Concacaf Champions Cup champion is Mexico’s CF Pachuca, who defeated Columbus Crew in an epic Final. The six-time Champions Cup winners will participate in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup alongside Club León (2023), Seattle Sounders FC (2022), CF Monterrey (2021), and Inter Miami CF (host club). CF Pachuca will also participate in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, beginning with the FIFA Derby of the Americas on December 11 against the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champion.
COMPETITION FORMAT
The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup will continue to be played in a direct elimination knockout stage format, including five rounds and 27 clubs. The first four rounds, Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals, all include home and away play, while the Final, where the region's Champion is crowned, is played as a single-leg match on a weekend date.
Of the 27 clubs participating, 22 will begin play in Round One, and five will receive a bye to the Round of 16. The clubs' qualification process was divided by region – North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Further details on how each club has qualified are available below.
COMPETITION DATES
The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup will start with Round One. These eleven home-and-away series will be played in February, followed by the Round of 16 in March, the Quarterfinals and semifinals in April, and the single-leg Final on Sunday, June 1.
Round One: February 4-6 (Week 1), 11-13 (Week 2), 18-20 (Week 3) and 25-27 (Week 4)
Round of 16: March 4-6 (First Legs) and 11-13 (Second Legs)
Quarterfinals: April 1-3 (First Legs) and 8-10 (Second Legs)
Semifinals: April 22-24 (First Legs) and April 29 - May 1 (Second Legs)
Final: Sunday, June 1 (Single Leg)
PARTICIPATING CLUBS
Clubs qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via three regional cups in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, as well as domestic leagues and cups for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The three regional cups (Leagues Cup, Concacaf Central American Cup, and Concacaf Caribbean Cup) take place between August and December of each year, play an essential role in the Confederation's club ecosystem, and crown their champions.
Thus far, 20 clubs have secured a berth in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup. These clubs are (in alphabetical order per tournament):
- Canadian Championship (one club): Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN)
- Canadian Premier League (one club): Forge FC (CAN)
- Concacaf Central American Cup (four clubs): Antigua GFC (GUA), CS Herediano (CRC), LD Alajuelense (CRC), Real Esteli FC (NCA)
- Leagues Cup (three clubs): Colorado Rapids (USA), Columbus Crew (USA), Los Angeles FC (USA)
- Liga MX (six clubs): CD Guadalajara (MEX), CF Monterrey (MEX), Club America (MEX), Cruz Azul (MEX), Pumas UNAM (MEX), Tigres UANL (MEX)
- MLS (four clubs): FC Cincinnati (USA), Inter Miami CF (USA), LA Galaxy (USA), Real Salt Lake (USA)
- US Open Cup (one club): Sporting Kansas City (USA)
The other seven participating clubs will be confirmed ahead of December’s draw as follows:
- Canadian Premier League (one club): 2024 Champion
- Concacaf Caribbean Cup (three clubs): 2024 Champion, Runner-Up, and Third Place
- Concacaf Central American Cup (two clubs): 2024 Play-In winners
- MLS (one club): 2024 MLS Cup champion
For more details on how each club has qualified, click here.
