What is Leagues Cup?

This week, the Philadelphia Union will make their return to Leagues Cup, participating in the tournament for the first time since 2024.

There's been significant change in and around the club since the team last featured, so here's a refresher on what you need to know about the tournament, the Union's successful campaigns in the past, and what's to come this time around.

Schedule

Phase One at Subaru Park

Philadelphia Union vs Cruz Azul - Thursday, August 6th, 8:10pm

Philadelphia Union vs Necaxa - Sunday, August 9th, 7:30pm

Philadelphia Union vs Santons Laguna -- Thursday, August 13th, 7pm

Leagues Cup is an annual, Concacaf-sanctioned tournament that brings together 36 clubs — all 18 LIGA MX teams and 18 qualified MLS clubs — in a fully interleague format.

The 2026 edition is it's fourth -- per leaguescup.com, the tournament's official site for news and updates, the competition builds on the momentum of a defining year for soccer across North America, deepens the regional rivalry, and awards qualification to Concacaf Champions Cup.

What's on the line?

The top three finishers will earn Concacaf Champions Cup qualification -- the Leagues Cup champion advances directly to the CCC Round of 16.

How does it work?

36 teams in total will participate. MLS clubs are ranked according to the final 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings.

LIGA MX clubs are ranked based on cumulative performance across the 2025 Apertura and Clausura tournaments.

The tournament is played in two phase: Phase One (August 4–13) and the Knockout Rounds (August 25–September 6) .

Phase One will feature 54 MLS vs. LIGA MX matchups in a round-robin format. The Philadelphia Union's schedule is as follows:

(5) Philadelphia Union vs (4) Cruz Azul
(5) Philadelphia Union vs (22) Necaxa
(5) Philadelphia Union vs (35) Santons Laguna

The top four clubs from each league table (MLS and LIGA MX) advance directly to the Knockout Rounds. Quarterfinal pairings are seeded based on Phase One performance and follow a fixed bracket structure. The Knockout Rounds are a single-elimination bracket beginning with Quarterfinals and culminating in the Leagues Cup Final.

Rules

Leagues Cup uses a no-ties format to ensure a winner in every match:

• 3 points for a regulation win
• 2 points for a penalty shootout win (after a tie)
• 1 point for a penalty shootout loss

The Union's Leagues Cup History

The Union participated in the first two editions of the tournament, finding success in both the inagural competition in 2023, then again in 2024.

2023 - Third place finishers

In 2023, the tean entered as the top-seeded MLS club in East 1, defeating LIGA MX sides Club Tijuana and Querétaro, before advancing and knocking out both D.C. United in the Round of 32, then Red Bull New York in the Round of 16. They faced Queretaro again in the quarterfinal, hosting Leo Messi and Inter Miami for the Semifinal, but ultimately losing 4-1. They defeated Monterrey for third place in the tournament.

2024 - Fourth place finishers

The Union took a similar path in 2024, earning points against Charlotte and Cruz Azul in the opening stage, before defeating Montreal, Cincinnati, Mazatlan, to make it to the Semifinal against Columbus. The Boys in Blue lost 3-1, finding themselves in the third place game again, but finishing fourth against Colorado Rapids.

Top Union Moments in the tournament

Aug. 8, 2023, Round of 16 vs RBNY -- Nathan Harriel's 69th minute equalizer against RBNY
Aug. 8, 2023, Round of 16 vs RBNY -- Jesus Bueno's game-winning PK
Aug. 11, 2023, Quaterfinal vs Queretaro -- Chris Donovan's stoppage time game-winner vs Queretaro
Aug. 13, 2024, Round of 16 vs Cincinnati -- Late rally from Tai Baribo and Quinn Sullivan to advance
Aug. 17, 2024, Quaterfinal vs Mazatlan -- Jesus Bueno's PK winner

More to know

This is Ryan Richter's first Leagues Cup at the helm, but he isn't unfamiliar with the tournament. He was the Union's first team assistant under Jim Curtin during the club's 2023 and 2024 campaigns
Philadelphia Union's 29-man roster features 17 players who have never been part of a Leagues Cup roster before