MLS and Liga MX are pressing pause on their Leagues Cup joint venture as they gear up for a 2023 tournament that’ll include all 47 clubs across both North American circuits. As a result, there will be no Leagues Cup this year, MLS confirmed to Sports Illustrated on Thursday.
It’s a decision that makes sense on two levels. First, the global soccer calendar is already compressed by the November-December World Cup, which forced MLS to start its 27th season in February and end it with the earliest title game in 20 years.
Second, the first two Leagues Cup tournaments, staged in 2020 and 2021, were eight-team exhibition affairs that didn’t exactly compare in scope, quality or competitive validity to the mammoth event to come.