By Victor Araiza
For the first time since the tournament’s modern era began in 2023, all four Leagues Cup semifinalists are from Liga MX, guaranteeing that a Mexican club will lift the trophy under the current format.
Toluca, León, Club América and Monterrey eliminated every remaining MLS challenger on the road to the 2026 Leagues Cup Final, creating a historic all-Mexican Semifinal stage.
More importantly, the sweep reinforces Liga MX’s dominance in Concacaf club competition while ensuring that, for the first time in the Leagues Cup’s modern era, a Mexican club will be crowned champion.
A Complete Reversal
The 2026 tournament continued the cross-border competition that has defined Leagues Cup since its expansion in 2023.
Phase One featured 54 matches between MLS and Liga MX clubs, with the top four finishers from each league advancing to the knockout rounds. The Quarterfinals continued the interleague format, guaranteeing MLS-Liga MX matchups before the Semifinals finally opened the door for clubs from the same league to face each other.
MLS clubs won the majority of head-to-head meetings in the 2026 edition, collecting 32 wins to Liga MX’s 26.
But when the stakes were highest, Liga MX delivered a clean sweep.
Monterrey defeated Chicago Fire 2-1. León eliminated Real Salt Lake 3-0. Toluca topped Austin 2-0. And América completed the all-Mexican final four with a 2-0 victory over Columbus Crew.
The results mark a complete reversal from the previous two editions, which featured four MLS semifinalists. Monterrey had been the only Liga MX club to reach the Semifinals since the format change, finishing fourth in the 2023 edition.
Through the first three editions under the new format, an MLS club lifted the trophy every year.
That streak is over.
Mexico’s Moment
Liga MX clubs entered Leagues Cup 2026 knowing the tournament had become a stage where MLS had enjoyed greater success since the 2023 format change.
Regardless of what happens in the Semifinals, that narrative has changed.
Liga MX has taken over the Leagues Cup final four, and the manner in which its clubs advanced only strengthened that statement.
Monterrey secured a 2-1 victory over Chicago Fire behind a sensational goal from Orbelín Pineda. With the match tied 1-1 heading into the final 10 minutes, Monterrey avoided the possibility of a penalty shootout by finding the decisive goal in Bridgeview, Illinois.
León continued its perfect run with a 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake in Commerce City, Colorado. The result extended León’s run to four consecutive regulation victories and further emphasized the club’s impressive form throughout the competition.
Toluca, despite dealing with injuries, withstood a determined challenge from Austin to claim a 2-0 victory in Harrison, New Jersey. Under Argentine manager Antonio Mohamed, Toluca has already won two Liga MX titles and a Concacaf Champions Cup and now has another trophy in its sights.
Club América completed the all-Liga MX final four with a 2-0 victory over Columbus Crew in Carson, California. Like the other three semifinalists, the 16-time Liga MX champions now have their sights set on a first Leagues Cup title.
Toluca will face León, while América meets Monterrey, guaranteeing an all-Liga MX Final.
Liga MX clubs won Leagues Cup when the tournament operated as an invitational, with Cruz Azul lifting the trophy in 2019 and León in 2021.
Beginning in 2023, the competition was transformed into an annual tournament involving every club from MLS and Liga MX, creating a new chapter in the rivalry between the two leagues. The tournament was modified again in 2025, when the field was reduced to 36 teams.
More Than Four Semifinalists
The Mexican sweep also means the implications of Leagues Cup 2026 extend well beyond the trophy.
All three Concacaf Champions Cup berths allocated through Leagues Cup are now guaranteed to go to Liga MX clubs.
Toluca had already secured qualification for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup as the Apertura 2025 champion. Club América also qualified as the best non-finalist in the 2025-26 Liga MX aggregate standings.
Following the Leagues Cup Quarterfinal results, Pachuca secured another Liga MX berth as the next-best non-qualified club in the aggregate standings. Monterrey has also secured qualification, while León can book its place with a top-three finish. If León finishes fourth, the final berth will go to Tijuana based on its position in the aggregate standings.
What is already certain is that Liga MX will have nine participants in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, accounting for one-third of the 27-team field.
Two Mexican clubs are also guaranteed a bye into the Round of 16: the Leagues Cup champion and the highest-ranked Liga MX champion from the 2025-26 season.
Mexican clubs have won the Concacaf Champions Cup in 20 of the past 21 editions and account for 41 championships — including one shared title — across the competition’s 61 editions.
The 2026 Leagues Cup Semifinals suggest that dominance is not going away anytime soon.
Before the tournament even reaches its final match, one thing is already guaranteed: a Mexican club will lift the Leagues Cup trophy.
