How many teams qualify for Leagues Cup knockout rounds?

The first round of group stage fixtures in the 2024 Leagues Cup were played last weekend. The opening games of the MLS-Liga MX competition saw the American league come out on top, wining six of the seven encounters between teams from the two leagues.

The next round of group stage games will be played across Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1. The group stage will then draw to a close over the weekend, with 30 teams progressing to the knockout stages.

The Leagues Cup features all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX, although two teams received a bye to the first knockout round. The top-seeded team from each league - Columbus Crew and Club América - will start their Leagues Cup journey in the Round of 32.

The 45 teams in the group stage are divided into 15 three-team groups. The top two teams from each of those groups progress to the Round of 32, where every game is a straight knockout tie.

What is the tie-breaker in Leagues Cup?

With only three teams in each group there will only be three matches played, leaving a greater chance of teams finishing level on points. To minimise that risk, organisers have introduced a penalty shoot-out tie-breaker for any group stage Game that finishes level on 90 minutes.

In the first round of fixtures DC United, Toronto FC, New York City FC and San Jose Earthquakes each earned a bonus point by winning the post-Game shoot-out.

This should make ties less likely, but there are a number of other factors that will be used as Leagues Cup tie-breakers. The first criterion is the head-to-head-result; whoever got the better of the fixture played between the teams who find themselves level on points.

Next up is the goal difference; the number of goals scored minus the number of goals conceded. The next criterion is the highest number of goals scored, followed by the fewest number of goals conceded. Beyond that, team discipline will be considered, with the team with the fewest yellow and red cards progressing. Finally, if every single one of these factors is level, the winning team will be decided by a drawing of lots.