ORLANDO, Fla. (Jan. 20, 2023) – Orlando City SC is set to take on Santos Laguna (LIGA MX) and Houston Dynamo FC (MLS) in Leagues Cup 2023, it was announced today. All three teams have been drawn into Group South 2, set to begin play in late July of this year.
The Lions qualified to host both of their group stage matches by finishing in the top 15 of MLS’ regular-season standings in 2022, while Santos Laguna finished fourth among LIGA MX clubs in combined points between the Clausura 2022 and Apertura 2022. Houston Dynamo FC was sorted into the group after finishing last year in 24th in MLS’ regular-season standings.
In addition to all 17 regular-season home games, 2023 Orlando City SC Season Ticket Memberships include tickets to both home matches during the Group Stage of Leagues Cup 2023. More information on how to become a STM, as well as other included benefits, can be found here.
Taking place from late July to early August, Leagues Cup 2023 is an official Concacaf competition in which all MLS and LIGA MX clubs will participate. Following a World Cup style format, including a group stage followed by knockout rounds, the tournament will see 77 games hosted at MLS stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Leagues Cup 2023 delivers three opportunities to qualify for Concacaf Champions League under the new format beginning in 2024, with the third place match winner and both clubs in the Leagues Cup final qualifying for Concacaf Champions League. The Leagues Cup 2023 Champion will qualify directly to the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16.
The group stage will see each club play a minimum of two matches, with the top two teams from each group advancing based on group points. No matches in the Leagues Cup Group Stage will end in a tie. If a game is tied after 90 minutes, the game will proceed to a penalty shootout. For tiebreakers and other competition items, the Leagues Cup 2023 Competition Guidelines will be published in the coming months.
The Leagues Cup 2023 bracket and schedule will be announced in the coming months, with single-match ticket information coming at a later date.
Beginning in 2023, MLS and LIGA MX will pause their respective league seasons each summer and all 47 first division clubs in Canada, Mexico and the United States will compete in the World Cup-style tournament, which is an official Concacaf competition. The inaugural Leagues Cup will consist of 77 matches, kicking off on Friday, July 21, with the final taking place on Saturday, August 19. The tournament will be played across the U.S. and Canada. The champion, as well as the second and third-place finishers will qualify for the Concacaf Champions League and have an opportunity to earn a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Fans around the world will be able to watch Leagues Cup* on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, which is available on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices from Roku, Amazon, and Google, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com.
In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select Leagues Cup matches. The Leagues Cup Final will be available on Univision in Spanish.
