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An equal mix of MLS and Liga MX teams will face off in the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions Cup, which kicks off on Tuesday with first leg action as the last eight teams left have their eyes set on North America’s top club prize. The MLS contingent includes Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami, who have so far breezed through the competition and will take on LAFC, the 2023 finalists who have gotten off to an average start in the MLS regular season. That will be the only matchup between two MLS teams, while Liga MX leaders Club America will take on Cruz Azul in the only faceoff between two teams in that league. The remaining games will see MLS teams take on their Mexican counterparts, offering yet another indictment on the competitive levels of two neighboring leagues that find plenty of opportunities to use each other as a measuring stick.
Like the previous rounds of the competition, the quarterfinals will take place over two legs over the course of two weeks. The team with the better aggregate score will advance to the semifinals, though extra time and penalties will be used if need be at the end of the second leg.
Here’s what you need to know about the Concacaf Champions Cup quarterfinals before tuning in.
How to watch
All times U.S./Eastern
Tuesday, April 1
- Club America vs. Cruz Azul, 9:15 p.m. (FS2)
- LA Galaxy vs. Tigres, 11:15 p.m. (FS2)
Wednesday, April 2
- Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Pumas, 9:30 p.m. (FS2)
- LAFC vs. Inter Miami, 11:30 p.m. (FS1)
Tuesday, April 8
- Tigres vs. LA Galaxy, 9 p.m.
- Cruz Azul vs. Club America, 11:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9
- Inter Miami vs. LAFC, 8 p.m.
- Pumas vs. Vancouver Whitecaps, 10:30 p.m.
Player to watch
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami: His availability will most likely depend on his fitness, but Inter Miami head coach Javier Mascherano’s minute management plan for Lionel Messi suggests that the team is making this competition the priority to start the season. Messi featured heavily in their first-round tie against Sporting Kansas City before taking a backseat in both the CCC and MLS with a minor injury, though his return in Miami’s 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union suggests he may be around enough to make a sizable impact for his side, as he needed just two minutes in that one to score.
When fit, Messi has been incredibly impactful for Miami this season, meeting the expectations many had for him when he joined the MLS side in 2023. He has five goals in six games across both competitions to start this season, three of them coming in CCC play. He is just one behind the Champions Cup’s leading goalscorer, Cruz Azul’s Angel Sepulveda, and there’s no reason to suggest that he will not find himself atop the goalscoring charts at some point. True to form for Messi, though, he could also play a big part in setting his teammates up for success – he already has two assists this season, both in MLS play.
Storyline to watch
MLS vs. Liga MX: In some ways, the quarterfinals offer an even matchup between MLS and Liga MX – each league has four teams each and will have at least one representative in the semifinals thanks to a couple of intraleague ties. How each of these teams fares, though, is an open question that will offer another batch of insights on the level of competition between the neighboring leagues.
Miami are the league’s most high-profile team for obvious reasons, but last year’s Supporters’ Shield win and their current standing atop the table after six games demonstrates an ability to match the hype with performances. The Vancouver Whitecaps, meanwhile, have also impressed this season – they are currently top of the Western Conference and could be one of the teams that MLS can hang its hopes on. The story is not the same for the Los Angeles-based team, though – LAFC have been inconsistent so far this season and may struggle against an in-form Miami, while the LA Galaxy are still winless in MLS play through six games and could struggle against Tigres.
All of this builds up to the eventual question this competition always inspires: Can an MLS team lift the trophy? Mexican teams have been dominant in the CCC, in large part because it kicks off in the middle of the Liga MX season and at the start of MLS’ campaign, meaning players in Mexico’s top flight will be fitter than those in MLS. The Seattle Sounders were the only MLS to cross the finish line in the recent history of the CCC, lifting the title in 2022, but they remain the exception and not the rule.
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