Seventeen clubs confirmed for 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup | OneFootball

Miami, FL – Five more clubs confirmed its participation in the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, as Antigua GFC (GUA), Real Estelí (NCA), LA Galaxy (USA), CS Herediano (CRC), and LD Alajuelense (CRC) becoming the latest clubs to book their place in the continental tournament.

The 60th edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup, which will feature the best clubs in the region, is scheduled to be played between February and June 2025. In addition to crowning the Confederation’s club champion, the Concacaf Champions Cup is the sole path through which clubs in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean can qualify for the expanded 32-club FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup.

Next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup will continue to be played in a five-round direct elimination knockout stage format. The first four rounds—Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, and Semifinals—all include home and away play, while the Final is played as a single-leg match.

Of the 27 participating clubs, 22 will begin play in Round One, and five will receive a bye to the Round of 16. Details on the seventeen clubs that have thus far qualified and the 10 berths still open are available below.

The current Concacaf Champions Cup champion is Mexico’s CF Pachuca, who defeated Columbus Crew (USA) in an epic 2024 sold-out Final at Estadio Hidalgo. The six-time Champions Cup winners joined Club Leon (2023), Seattle Sounders FC (2022), and CF Monterrey (2021) as Concacaf’s four representatives in next summer’s FIFA Club World Cup.

CF Pachuca will also participate in the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, beginning with the FIFA Derby of the Americas on December 11 against the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores champion. Should they advance, they will compete for the FIFA Challenger Cup and a place in the Final on December 14. The Final between Real Madrid (2023-24 UEFA Champions League champion) and the winner of the FIFA Challenger Cup is scheduled for December 18.

HOW CLUBS QUALIFY FOR CONCACAF CHAMPIONS CUP

Clubs qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via the Leagues Cup (North America), Concacaf Central American Cup, and Concacaf Caribbean Cup, as well as domestic leagues and cups in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Thus far, nine clubs have qualified through regional cups or domestic leagues for the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup, and 18 more qualification slots are available (explained below).

Club America* (MEX): No club holds more titles in the Concacaf region than Club America, with seven. Winners of the Apertura 2023 and Clausura 2024 titles, Las Águilas qualified by virtue of their first league title during the 2023-24 calendar year.

Tigres UANL (MEX): Tigres qualified for the Champions Cup as the Liga MX Apertura 2023 runner-up. The club will appear for a twelfth time and attempt to win their first title since 2020.

Cruz Azul (MEX): Cruz Azul secured their place as the Liga MX Clausura 2024 runner-up. The club from Mexico City is the second side with the most Concacaf titles (six: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997, and 2014).

CF Monterrey (MEX): The five-time Champions Cup champions return to the tournament for the thirteenth time after securing a berth as the highest-ranked side in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table.

CD Guadalajara (MEX): Chivas returns to the Champions Cup as the next-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table. This will be their second appearance since the club’s title conquest in 2018. They were also the champions of the tournament’s inaugural edition in 1962.

Pumas UNAM (MEX): The three-time Champions Cup winners (1980, 1982, 1989) will make their sixth appearance and first since finishing runners-up in 2022. They qualified as the third-best club in the 2023–24 Liga MX aggregate table.

Colorado Rapids (USA): The Colorado Rapids have qualified by winning the third-place match in the 2024 Leagues Cup. It will be their fifth appearance in the tournament.

Columbus Crew* (USA): The 2024 Champions Cup runners-up will return for a consecutive edition after winning the 2024 Leagues Cup. It will be their sixth appearance in the tournament.

Los Angeles FC (USA): The 2020 and 2023 runners-up have qualified as 2024 Leagues Cup runners-up. This will be LAFC’s third appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Sporting KC (USA): Sporting Kansas City has qualified as a finalist for the 2024 U.S. Open Cup, given that the other finalist, LAFC, has already qualified and cannot use the champion’s automatic berth. This will be SKC’s seventh appearance and the first since it reached the semifinals in 2019.

Inter Miami CF (USA): Inter Miami qualified for Round One by securing a spot among the two next-best clubs in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 MLS Cup. This will be the club's second appearance after it debuted in 2023, when it reached the quarterfinals.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC (CAN): Vancouver Whitecaps qualified by winning the 2024 Canadian Championship. The club returns for a third consecutive edition and fifth overall. Its best finish was reaching the semifinals in 2016–17.

Antigua GFC (GUA): Antigua GFC qualified for Round One by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 Central American Cup. This will be the club's second appearance after it debuted in 2016–17 as a league champion.

Real Estelí (NCA): Real Estelí qualified for Round One by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 Central American Cup. The Nicaraguan side will make its 13th appearance and second consecutive.

LA Galaxy (USA): LA Galaxy qualified for Round One by securing a spot among the two next-best clubs in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 MLS Cup. This will be the club's 11th appearance and first since the 2015–16 edition. The club's best finish came in 2000 as champions.

CS Herediano (CRC): Club Sport Herediano qualified for Round One by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 Central American Cup. This will be the club's 17th appearance and second consecutive. The club will seek to match its best finish when it made the semifinals in 2014–15.

LD Alajuelense (CRC): Liga Deportiva Alajuelense qualified for Round One by reaching the semifinals of the Concacaf Central American Cup. They can still secure a bye to the Round of 16 by winning the 2024 Central American Cup. This will be the club's 28th appearance and third consecutive. The club’s best finish came in 2004 as champions.

Canadian Premier League (two clubs):  2024 Champion and Shield Winner

Concacaf Caribbean Cup (three clubs): 2024 champion*, runner-up, and third place

Concacaf Central American Cup (two clubs): Two play-in winners.

MLS (three clubs): 2024 MLS Cup champion*, non-Supporters' Shield winning conference champion, and the next best club in the Supporters' Shield standings that has not already qualified.

*Clubs that will receive a bye to the Round of 16 include the three regional cup champions, the MLS Cup champion, and the best-performing Liga MX champion.

For more information on the Concacaf Champions Cup, visit www.concacaf.com/champions-cup.