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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sport
Ben Steiner

Five Teams That Could Win the 2026 Leagues Cup—Ranked

Leagues Cup Liga MX Robert Lewandowski MLS Lionel Messi Cavan Sullivan Chicago Fire Cruz Azul Fire Gregg Berhalter

If it feels like soccer in North America hasn’t slowed down since the 2026 FIFA World Cup, you wouldn’t be wrong. Yet, the sport is set to kick it into an even higher gear, as 18 Major League Soccer teams join every Liga MX side this week for the start of the 2026 Leagues Cup, the summer tournament that has included the majority of North America’s two most prominent domestic leagues since 2023.

This year’s edition marks the second with 36 teams, leaving 12 MLS clubs out of the competition, and will award 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup berths to the champions, runners-up, and third-place finishers.

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