doug mcintyre
football journalist
The CONCACAF Champions League is changing things.
Two days after León de México was crowned the best club in North, Central America and the Caribbean, the region’s soccer governing body announced on Tuesday the name change of its main club competition, which will be known as the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup starting in 2024.
The annual tournament will also expand from 18 to 27 teams. But the biggest news might be the five-fold increase in prize money for winning it. After Sunday’s win, León received close to $1 million. The purse will grow to more than $5 million for any club that lifts the trophy starting next year. The winner will still qualify directly for the annual FIFA Club World Cup, which is expected to grow to 32 teams (up from seven) from 2025.
In a press release, CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani said the Champions Cup “will take continental club soccer in our region to the next level.” Montagliani, who is also a FIFA vice president, added that the revamped format “will offer more of those big rivalry matchups that we know the footballers want to play in and the fans want to watch.”
Six teams from Mexico’s Liga MX will automatically qualify for the 2024 Champions Cup. At least five will come from MLS. The two major North American tours can also send additional representatives through the US Open Cup, the Canadian Championship and the new League Cup, a World Cup-style event that begins next month and includes to the 47 teams in MLS and Liga MX. The rest of the field will be made up of the best teams from the Caribbean, Central America and the Canadian Premier League.
“Champions Cup” was the original name of the region’s premier club tournament, which CONCACAF launched in 1962. It was expanded and renamed the “Champions League” 15 years ago, an odd choice that invited unfavorable comparisons. since the most competitive and popular international club tournament, the European Champions League, was already an established and beloved global brand. The winner of Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan will rake in about $81 million in total.
Part of CONCACAF’s motivation for returning to the previous nomenclature was to differentiate its competition from UEFA’s masterpiece, FOX Sports understands.
“Keeping the word ‘Champions’ was crucial for us to highlight that this tournament is at the top of the club pyramid” in the region, said CONCACAF Secretary General Philippe Moggio. “We also feel that moving away from the ‘Champions League’ allows us to develop a unique identity for our club competition.”
Doug McIntyre is a football writer for FOX Sports. Before joining FOX Sports in 2021, he was a staff writer for ESPN and Yahoo Sports and has covered the United States men’s and women’s national teams at multiple FIFA World Cups. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Get more from the CONCACAF Champions League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more