Leagues Cup 2026 League Phase Concludes: Quarterfinal Field Set After América, Austin FC, and Portland Timbers Close Out Phase One
The 2026 Leagues Cup league phase is in the history books after three weeks of interleague action between all 18 MLS and all 18 LIGA MX clubs. With late action on the books for Club América, Austin FC, and the Portland Timbers against Club Tijuana, the Leagues Cup 2026 quarterfinals bracket is set with the top four MLS and LIGA MX clubs in the league table advancing.
Read on for how it all came down, what results shaped the bracket, and what to make of the road to the Leagues Cup 2026 final.
Leagues Cup 2026 League Phase Overview
Leagues Cup 2026 kept the interleague format from 2025, with all 36 clubs playing three matches in Phase One against opponents from the opposite league. With the exception of the Austin FC vs. Club América match, every drawn game was decided in penalty kicks to decide who would get an extra point in the standings, which proved to matter for some clubs in the race to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
The top four MLS and top four LIGA MX clubs advanced to the knockout rounds. As with previous years, the winner, runner-up, and third-place finisher will all qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup with the Leagues Cup winner receiving a bye in the group stage.
Club América Finishes Unbeaten but Settles for Second After Draw with Austin FC
Club América put in an unbeaten campaign in Phase One, but they could only finish second in the LIGA MX table after a 1-1 draw against Austin FC. The two teams drew in penalty kicks to decide the final match in the group stage, which Austin FC won to advance as the LIGA MX’s second seed. Las Águilas started the Leagues Cup 2026 with two 3-1 wins over San Diego FC and the Portland Timbers with former LAFC winger Brian Rodríguez scoring twice and assisting once in the wins. Club América finished second in the LIGA MX table with seven points and a +4 goal differential.
Austin FC’s Uzuni Leads MLS’s Undefeated Run to Second Seed in Leagues Cup
Austin FC were one of the surprise storylines of the Leagues Cup 2026 as they went 3-0-0 in Phase One with seven points to finish second in the MLS table. Myrto Uzuni was the star player for the Western Conference Expansion Side, netting a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Club Puebla before scoring the tying goal against Club América. Uzuni and the Austin FC then won the shootout against Club América to finish with second in the MLS table. Uzuni tied for the tournament’s scoring lead with four goals.
Portland Timbers End Campaign with Win Over Club Tijuana
Portland Timbers played their final Leagues Cup 2026 match against Club Tijuana as the two teams battled through a 3-1 finish at Providence Park with the win marking the end of the campaign for the Timbers. Mourad El Ghezouani gave Club Tijuana an early lead, but Kelsy equalized before halftime and second-half goals from Antony and Ariel Lassiter, who scored a brace in his third Leagues Cup match, sealed the win for the MLS side. The win also marked Martí Cifuentes’ first victory as the new head coach of the Timbers. The MLS side, however, fell to seventh in the overall rankings with a 2-1-0 record and six points, which put them out of contention for the knockout rounds. The Timbers finished 9-6 in goal differential across their three matches, including two wins from their final two matches in the league phase.
Leagues Cup 2026 Quarterfinal Field Preview
After the conclusion of the league phase, four MLS and four LIGA MX clubs advanced to the knockout rounds that will take place on August 25-27 in the U.S. The teams are previewed below alongside the full bracket.
MLS LIGA MX Matchup
Chicago Fire FC (1) vs. CF Monterrey (4)
Austin FC (2) vs. Toluca FC (3)
Club León (1) vs. Real Salt Lake (4)
Club América (2) vs. Columbus Crew (3)
Chicago Fire are the top-seeded team in the tournament after they went 3-0-0 in the league phase, including a late win over Cruz Azul to finish first in the group stage. Fire fans were also spoiled with news of Robert Lewandowski’s transfer to the club. Club León were undefeated through the group stage and had perhaps the most highlight-reel win in Leagues Cup 2026 with their 3-2 win over Inter Miami and Lionel Messi to finish first in the table. Real Salt Lake made a surprising run to the knockout rounds thanks to two straight wins in the league phase, and Columbus Crew are in the mix after finishing as the unbeaten runners-up in last year’s Leagues Cup as well as winning a penalty-kick clash against Club América in their 2024 Campeones Cup meeting.
CF Monterrey had the final spot in the quarterfinals after a dramatic 3-2 win over San Jose Earthquakes in the final minutes of their group-stage encounter, and they had to settle for the fourth seed after finishing tied with Cruz Azul on points, goal differential, and regulation wins.
Leagues Cup 2026 Knockout Stage Schedule
Quarterfinals: August 25-27
Semifinals: September 1-2
Third-Place Playoff: September 6
Final: Following the Semifinals in early September
Now with the league phase behind us, attention turns to the knockout rounds with Chicago Fire’s undefeated campaign, Club León’s and Austin FC’s runs through the league phase, and Club América’s meeting with Columbus Crew as a repeat of the 2024 final are among the storylines to watch.
