Eight clubs have now qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, LAFC and Columbus Crew join the Liga MX giants
- Eight of the 27 participating clubs have confirmed their participation, including Liga MX representatives CD Guadalajara, CF Monterrey, Club America, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL.
- The Central American Cup and the Caribbean Cup are currently underway, with nine more clubs from the region set to qualify
- The 60th edition of the Champions Cup will be held between February and June 2025
The 60th edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, which will feature the region’s best clubs, is scheduled to take place between February and June 2025. The Concacaf Champions Cup not only crowns the confederation’s club champions, but is also the only way for clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean to qualify for the expanded 32-club FIFA Club World Cup.
The Concacaf Champions Cup will continue to be played in a five-round knockout format next year. The first four rounds – round one, round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals – will be home and away matches, while the final will be played in a single match.
Of the 27 participating clubs, 22 will start in the first round and five will receive a bye to the round of 16. Details of the eight clubs that have qualified so far and the 19 places still available can be found below.
The current Concacaf Champions Cup winner is Mexico’s CF Pachuca, who defeated Columbus Crew (USA) in an epic 2024 final at a sold-out Estadio Hidalgo. The six-time Champions Cup winners join Club Leon (2023), Seattle Sounders FC (2022) and CF Monterrey (2021) as the four Concacaf representatives at next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.
Clubs qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via the Leagues Cup (North America), the Concacaf Central American Cup and the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as well as national leagues and cups in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
So far, eight clubs have qualified for the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup through regional cups or national leagues, and there are 19 more qualifying places available (see below).
CD Guadalajara (MEX): Chivas returns to the Champions Cup as the second-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX overall standings. This will be their second appearance since they last won the title in 2018. They were also the champions of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1962.
Monterrey CF (MEX): The five-time Champions Cup winner is taking part in the tournament for the thirteenth time, having secured a place as the best club in the 2023-24 Liga MX standings.
Club America* (MEX): No club holds more titles in the Concacaf region than Club America (seven), qualifying as champions of the 2023–24 Liga MX Apertura and Clausura by earning the most total points in the regular season.
Cruz Azul (MEX): Cruz Azul secured its place as runner-up in the Liga MX Clausura 2024. The club from Mexico City is the team with the second most Concacaf titles (six: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997 and 2014).
Pumas UNAM (MEX): The three-time Champions Cup winner (1980, 1982, 1989) is participating for the sixth time and for the first time since finishing second in 2022. They qualified as the second-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX overall table.
Tigres UANL (MEX): Tigres will compete for the 12th time and try to win their first title since 2020. As runners-up in the 2023 Liga MX Apertura, they qualified for the Champions Cup.
Columbus Crew (USA): The runner-up of the 2024 Champions Cup has qualified as a finalist of the 2024 Leagues Cup. It will be their sixth participation in the tournament.
Los Angeles FC (USA): The runners-up of 2020 and 2023 have qualified as finalists of the 2024 Leagues Cup. For LAFC, this is the third appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Canadian Championship (one club): Master 2024
Canadian Premier League (two clubs): Champion and Shield Winner 2024
Concacaf Caribbean Cup (three clubs): 2024 Champion*, Vice Champion and Third
Concacaf Central American Cup (six clubs): 2024 champion*, runner-up, two losing semifinalists and two play-in winners.
Leagues Cup (another club): 2024 third place (Colorado Rapids or Philadelphia Union)
MLS (five clubs): Cup winners* 2024, winners of the Supporters’ Shield, conference winners of the Non-Supporters’ Shield and the next two best clubs in the Supporters’ Shield
US Open Cup (one club): Master 2024
*Clubs receiving a bye to the Round of 16 include the three regional cup winners, the MLS Cup winner and the best performing Liga MX winner.
For more information about the Concacaf Champions Cup, visit www.concacaf.com/champions-cup.
