Major League Soccer and LIGA MX announced today the participants, bracket and schedule for the 2021 Leagues Cup, an annual single-elimination tournament that will feature premier clubs from MLS and Mexico’s top division and build upon the growing rivalry between both leagues.
As one of four MLS clubs in the high-level international competition, Sporting Kansas City will serve as host of either Club Leon or Chivas in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals on Aug. 10 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas.
The marquee matchup will kick off at 7 p.m. and be shown live nationally on ESPN2 and TUDN.
Tickets for the Leagues Cup quarterfinal showdown are included in Sporting Kansas City season ticket member packages. Season ticket members will have access to an exclusive 24-hour pre-sale for additional tickets to the match beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 8. Tickets for the match will become available to the general public at 10 a.m. Friday, July 9, via SeatGeek.com.
Sporting Kansas City will learn its Leagues Cup quarterfinal opponent on July 18 when Club Leon faces Cruz Azul in the 2021 Campeon de Campeones. If Club Leon wins the match, Sporting will play host to Chivas in the tournament’s opening round and Club Leon will participate in the 2021 Campeones Cup. Should Club Leon lose to Cruz Azul, it will travel to Children’s Mercy Park as the quarterfinal opposition.
The 2021 Leagues Cup will see four MLS clubs matched up against four LIGA MX teams in the quarterfinals, which will unfold from Aug. 10-12. The tournament will be played in its entirety in the United States, with the semifinals slated for Sept. 14-15 and the Leagues Cup Final, to be played at a neutral venue announced in the coming weeks, scheduled for Sept. 22. Further details, including semifinal venues and kickoff times, will be announced following the quarterfinals.
As announced in March, the participating MLS teams in Leagues Cup are the top two finishers from each conference based on the 2020 MLS regular season standings that did not participate in the 2021 Scotiabank Champions League. By this criterion, Sporting joined Orlando City SC, Seattle Sounders FC and New York City FC as the MLS representatives in the tournament.
Similarly, LIGA MX teams joining the 2021 edition of the competition are the top four teams from the combined Apertura 2020 and Clausura 2021 Mexican League regular season standings that did not qualify for the 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League.
Leagues Cup will be broadcast on Univision and ESPN networks and digital platforms in the United States, TSN and TVA Sports in Canada, and Televisa and TUDN platforms in Mexico.
Aug. 10 will mark the first time Sporting has welcomed a LIGA MX foe since April 2019 when manager Peter Vermes’ side advanced to the Concacaf Champions League semifinals. Sporting is 2-1-0 in competitive home matches against Mexican opposition at Children’s Mercy Park, including wins over Cruz Azul (2013-14 CCL quarterfinals) and Deportivo Toluca FC (2019 CCL round of 16) and a loss to CF Monterrey (2019 CCL semifinals).
The most popular team in Mexico and a 12-time first division champion, Chivas notably won the 2018 Concacaf Champions League with current Sporting Kansas City forward Alan Pulido leading its attack. The star striker transferred from Chivas to Sporting ahead of the 2020 season and faces a potential reunion with his former club in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals. Club Leon won its most recent of eight league titles in December 2020, finishing atop the fall season standings with a 12-1-4 record before eliminating Puebla, Chivas and Pumas in the playoffs.
Beyond the rivalry, Leagues Cup has taken on an increased focus for both MLS and LIGA MX clubs. Concacaf announced earlier this year that Leagues Cup will have a qualifying slot to the Concacaf Champions League, starting with the new format in 2023, positioning Leagues Cup as an important part of the North American soccer landscape.
The 2021 Leagues Cup kicks off five weeks of MLS vs. Liga MX matchups throughout the late summer and early fall, with the MLS All-Star Game on Aug. 25 and followed by Campeones Cup on the last week of September.
2021 Leagues Cup Schedule
All times Central (subject to change)
Quarterfinals
Tuesday, Aug. 10
• QF4: Sporting Kansas City vs. Club León/Chivas (Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, KS), 7 p.m. (TUDN, ESPN2)
• QF3: Seattle Sounders FC vs. Tigres UANL (Lumen Field – Seattle, WA), 9 p.m. (TUDN, ESPN2)
Wednesday, Aug. 11
• QF2: New York City FC vs. Pumas (Yankee Stadium – New York, NY), 7 p.m. (TUDN, ESPN+)
Thursday, Aug. 12
• QF1: Orlando City SC vs. Santos Laguna (Exploria Stadium – Orlando, FL), 7 p.m. (TUDN, ESPN+)
Semifinals
Sept. 14 and 15
• SF1: Winner QF1 vs Winner QF3
• SF2: Winner QF2 vs Winner QF4
Final
• Wednesday, Sept. 22