The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup is upon us, and the MLS has already flexed its muscles to become the biggest stage for soccer in the Americas. With two of North America’s soccer giants, the Columbus Crew and Los Angeles FC, punching their tickets to prove that the United States belongs among the elite. Let’s face it – the road to this point hasn’t been a walk in the park.

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It’s no surprise that the first two teams to qualify for the Champions Cup include Columbus Crew and LAFC. Both have had recent success, finishing runners-up in the 2024 and 2023 editions respectively. But what secured their tickets to continental competition was the 2024 Leagues Cup final. This competition is largely overlooked, but it should be a game-changer for these teams. Now that they’ve secured their spots, the dream of representing MLS at the FIFA Club World Cup is slowly becoming more real with each passing day.

The Leagues Cup final will take place at Lower.com Field, home of the Columbus Crew, and it’s about more than just winning a championship. It’s about making a statement that soccer is united in North America. But the winner won’t just go home with a trophy; they’ll get another advantage, skipping the tricky early rounds and going straight to the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup. You know, who wouldn’t want to avoid the mines in the early rounds?

While Columbus and LAFC can now breathe a sigh of relief, the battle for MLS’ third place in the Champions Cup is getting exciting. Philadelphia Union and Colorado Rapids will play for third place in the Leagues Cup, with a coveted spot in the continental tournament at stake. Both teams have shown signs of being able to advance in the tournament, but now it will come down to who can stay calm under pressure and earn the golden ticket to Concacaf.

What is notable here is that this has been the steady increase in MLS representation in the Champions Cup. The league can have up to 10 representatives, which shows how far the United States has come in terms of the growth and quality of soccer. That leaves five more spots available, and the race will be exciting right from the start of the season.

Attention will be focused not only on the league title, but also on qualification for the Champions Cup as the season approaches its final stretch. More likely, the 2024 MLS Cup champion, the MLS Supporters’ Shield winner and the top two in the standings, as well as the best team in each conference, will be selected. And then there are the spots reserved for the winners of the Canadian Championship and the US Open Cup.

This is the icing on the cake for teams that, for one reason or another, didn’t get the chance to shine in previous continental competitions. Clubs like Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto FC, Sporting Kansas City and Seattle Sounders are still struggling, and any slip-up can now become very costly. MLS’s internal competition has never been fiercer, and that just shows how far this league has risen in recent years.

When we talk about the Concacaf Champions Cup, we’re talking about serious challenges. It’s no secret that MLS clubs have always had a hard time displacing the traditional heavyweights of LIGA MX – the favorites in this competition. Chivas Guadalajara, CF Monterrey, Club América, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL have secured spots in the competition scheduled for 2025, and any club in North America that faces them will surely go through hell.

These Mexican teams have tradition, experience and a history of success in the competition. What MLS has shown in recent years, however, is that it is no longer the ‘ugly duckling’ of the continent. With massive investments in infrastructure, scouting and player development, and a fan base that seems to grow every day, MLS clubs are now preparing to take on the Mexican giants.

The Champions Cup format gives the competition a special flavor. And then there are the five exciting knockout rounds in which 27 teams will compete for the title. There will be 22 teams in the first phase, but only the top five will automatically advance to the round of 16 – plus the Leagues Cup winner and the MLS and LIGA MX champions. If you think that somehow makes life easier for the favorites, you’re wrong. The pressure will be enormous and any mistake could even be fatal.

With the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup fast approaching, the soccer world is on high alert. MLS is looking to flex its muscles with up to ten representatives and prove that it has nothing to gain from the traditional clubs in Latin America. And for Columbus Crew and LAFC, the mission is about much more than just representing Major League Soccer; it’s about putting the United States on the world soccer map.

The league’s growth, investment in local and foreign talent, and increasing fan passion show that MLS is up to the task. Now it’s just a matter of waiting to see who steps onto North American soccer’s biggest stage.

Until then, the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup will not be just any tournament; it will be a baptism of fire, an opportunity for MLS clubs to prove themselves and show that they are not just here to compete, but to compete as serious contenders. And for Columbus Crew, LAFC and all the other teams vying for spots, the journey has only just begun. Come 2025, because soccer in America will never be the same.