What Are New Rules & Format Changes in 2024 Leagues Cup? Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami Start Title Defense Against Mexican Clubs

Last year, Inter Miami made strides by winning their first-ever silverware in the form of the Leagues Cup. With the 2024 season approaching, anticipation grows as Lionel Messi and Co. prepare to defend their crown. However, the road to triumph will be filled with new challenges as the 2024 Leagues Cup introduces a revamped rulebook. 47 clubs from the MLS and Liga MX will compete fiercely, which is scheduled to begin on July 26 and run through to August 25. 

What are the new changes for the 2024 Leagues Cup? 

Firstly, a new tiered rating system has been introduced for the 2024 Leagues Cup, which will assess all the clubs based on their performance in the previous 34 games of the regular season. The 2023 Supporters’ Shield standings will be used to rate MLS teams, and the 2023 Clausura and Apertura tournament matches will be used to evaluate LIGA MX clubs. Based on the Leagues Cup Ranking, all teams—aside from the winners of the MLS and Liga MX—are divided into three tiers. 

Interestingly, 15 groups will be made by slotting teams into each of the three tiers to guarantee a balance between competitiveness and geography. To simplify travel arrangements, the competition will take place in two regions: in the East with seven groups and in the West with eight. Notably, Club America and Columbus Crew, the MLS Cup and LIGA MX champions, receive an automatic bye to the RO32 and are not subject to the Leagues Cup Ranking. 

Additionally, hub privileges will be awarded based on the Leagues Cup Ranking to the LIGA MX’s Champion and the Top 3 clubs. These advantages intend to reduce travel and enable these clubs to play as the home team. Hence, Club America will host through the semifinals, Monterrey (No. 1 rank) through the round of 16, Chivas Guadalajara (No. 4 rank) through the round of 32, and Tigres (No. 6 rank) during the group stage. For these clubs with hub privileges, their venues will be announced at a later date. 

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After the group stage, all teams will be participating in single-match elimination knockout rounds. The 3 CONCACAF Champions Cup-eligible clubs will be determined by the Leagues Cup 2024 3rd place and final. Finally, the Leagues Cup will continue to use the No Ties format, in which a 90-minute draw earns a club 1 point. If the winner is declared after a penalty shootout, that club earns an extra point. Regular wins will earn a team 3 points.

Which teams will Lionel Messi and Inter Miami face and how to watch them?

Inter Miami CF is in Tier 3 and ranks at 40th position. They will be competing in Group East 3, alongside Club Tigres (Tier 1, rank 6) and Club Puebla (Tier 2, rank 21), both of the clubs from Liga MX. To catch the whole journey of Miami in the Leagues Cup, fans from more than 100 countries can watch all 77 League Cup matches via the Apple TV app, thanks to the MLS Season Pass.

Furthermore, a few group-stage matches will be televised in the USA, Mexico, and Canada on linear broadcast networks like TelevisaUnivision, TV Azteca, FOX Sports (FS1), TSN, and RDS. With such new developments, the 2024 Leagues Cup promises to be an enthralling affair and fans will have countless reasons to not miss a bite of the action! 

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