LOS ANGELES – It’s been quite the summer for soccer fans in the United States. The 2025 Fifa Cup World Cup and the CONCACAF Gold Cup have officially wrapped up earlier this month, meaning there’s one major tournament left: The 2025 Leagues Cup. According to Major League Soccer (MLS) legend DaMarcus Beasley, the Leagues Cup is coming at the perfect moment, and its importance for preparing North America for the 2026 World Cup and the growth in talent can’t be overlooked.
The Impact
“It's very important, you know, from a business side, different stadiums. I know some of the stadiums are probably gonna be training facilities for some of the countries that come to the United States next year [for the 2026 World Cup]. So on that side of things, the Leagues Cup is kind of a trying period to get everything right for 2026,” he says.
But the Leagues Cup is more than just a stepping stone for the World Cup; it’s a tournament creating its own impact.
“Speaking about, you know, sporting and football terms, the Leagues Cup is a tournament that is gaining momentum. I think as a real football fan, you want to see as many games as possible. And you know this is different. This is a different tournament. It's a tournament that really pits the rivalry between not just the [United States and Mexico] national teams, but the club teams as well. And I think that is something that will bring out different fans to stadiums, something that you know, fans want to see. They want to see Mexican teams against the United States teams in MLS. I think it's happening in a really good, really good moment in the summer,” says Beasley.
The development of the Leagues Cup is an indicator of the growth the game has seen in recent years. From its inception in 1996, MLS has expanded from ten teams to 30 with the newly added San Diego FC. Originally, the League Cup debuted in 2019 as a single-elimination tournament, only featuring four teams from each league.
“It's growing rapidly. From infrastructure and the League itself, also with the media, the coverage, and players. Now, obviously, we have one of the best. Arguably, I mean, in my opinion, the best player to ever play the game [Leo Messi] in the MLS. I don't think anyone would have thought that, say, 10 years ago we would ever be able to bring someone of his caliber to the United States. So yeah, we're always growing,” says Beasley.
“The most beautiful thing about MLS is that you know they are always trying. You're not just looking at next year, looking at 5 years from now, and you know, I think that's important, you know, trying to see what they're going to do differently year in and year out. Obviously speaking about the Leagues Cup, that’s one of the things that they're doing that's helping the game grow in our country and in Canada. I think the MLS and the whole of football in this country is in a good spot.”
In the past five years, new initiatives have driven the game forward as the league hopes to capture a larger audience. The 2025 edition of the tournament includes all 18 of the Liga MX sides to compete against the top 18 teams of the MLS- nine from the Eastern and nine from the Western Conferences. Expansion club San Diego FC will make its tournament debut in place of Vancouver Whitecaps FC, who competed in the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup as Canadian Championship winners.
Fan Favorite Rivals
The new format allows for more fan opportunities to witness the long-standing rivalry between the U.S. and Mexico outside of the MLS All-Star game and national team competitions. Earlier this summer, major concerns surrounding attendance and fan safety at the Club World Cup and CONCACAF tournaments arose due to the increasing presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and law enforcement agencies following nationwide protests against executive immigration orders. Criticism over US leadership came from human-rights groups, soccer fan clubs, and elected officials from Mexico and Canada.
Though initial attendance dipped in the early stages of earlier tournaments, fans in major cities seemed undeterred as they cheered on their respective national teams and clubs. Last year, the Leagues Cup clubs saw a decline in attendance from their in-season averages. This was, in part, due to injuries that pulled major players such as Messi from the lineup in most games. Predictions for this year’s tournament have fluctuated given the current political climate and match schedules. However, the first round of matches may bring fans flocking for a chance to witness the biggest rivals go head to head for a spot in the knockout stages.
Despite the divisive state of the country, Beasley highlights that the Leagues Cup promotes a sense of unity between fans, outside of the decades-old rivalries. “That’s the beautiful thing about soccer, football, whatever you want to call it, it brings cultures together. It doesn't matter where you're from. It doesn't matter what you look like. That's what this game does, and that's why we all love it, you know. That's why I played it for so long. That's why I'm still involved with it. It is because football is a different sport than any other sport around the world, and you know you can be sitting next to someone that you don't even speak the same language. But you love the game of football, you enjoy watching, whether you're supporting the same team, or you're not supporting the same team.”
Beasley, who played six seasons with the Houston Dynamo and earned 128 international caps with the US Men’s National Team, understands the importance of match accessibility for fans on both sides of the southern border. “You can appreciate it. You know the game as it is, and I think that's what this tournament brings. You have fans that don't get to see their teams in Mexico, day in and day out, week in and week out, but now they get a chance to through tournaments like the Leagues Cup. I think it's exciting for fans to be able to go and support their team in their city that they live in the United States,” he says.
Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
October 10, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Mexico defender Paul Aguilar (22) moves the ball against USA defender DaMarcus Beasley (7) during the second half of the CONCACAF Cup at Rose Bowl.
The Leagues Cup, in its current stage, is another indication of how collaboration across North America is helping the sport stand out. “I think both leagues, Liga MX and MLS, are always trying to find creative ways for this tournament to be better, and I think the point that they've made is, how can we do that? And they've done that, especially with the first phase of this tournament being all rivalry matches. That's huge. That's something different. That's something, you know, very unique and something that no other tournament in the world has and does. So I think just with those little things you can for 90 min, or however long it's gonna be, two fans can sit and watch a game and really enjoy themselves.”
The Players
Three MLS teams that competed in the 2025 Club World Cup will also compete in the Leagues Cup: Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC and Seattle Founders. LAFC is hoping for a victorious ending after falling to Columbus Crew SC 3-1 last summer. Between reporting for international duty during the CONCACAF Championship and participation during the inaugural Club World Cup, MLS players have been busy. Concerns regarding overextension have risen given the number of tournaments held this summer that included MLS and Liga MX players.
Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Aug 25, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Crew forward Diego Rossi (10) dribbles the ball against LAFC in the Leagues Cup Final at Lower.com Field
Concerns over player safety and exhaustion have become more frequent in recent years. Calls for fewer international tournaments circulated in Europe as an increase in player injuries, including ACL tears, has increased in both men and women during international duty and external league competitions. There’s a level of difficulty, both mentally and physically, that is added during repeated competition.
As a veteran with 20 years of professional experience under his belt, Beasley shares insight into the mindset a player has when competing in back-to-back tournaments. “Yeah, look, I'll be honest. It's difficult. Mentally and physically, it's very, very difficult. I'm not going to sugarcoat it and just say, Oh, it's great, because now I'm a fan, and I don't feel the pressure that these players have now. It's difficult. It's not easy for coaches, for players, to play another tournament,” he says.
Difficult and demanding, the Leagues Cup offers a major incentive that Beasley says helps- a shot at the 2026 CONCACAF Championship Cup. “The Leagues Cup brings something at the end- the light at the end of the tunnel. You have the icing on the cake at the end, being able to challenge for a spot to get to the CONCACAF Champions Cup. That's huge, you know for a club that's huge, financially, and that's huge for a player's profile. So, being able to have that motivation going into a tournament like this is important,” he explains.
“As soon as you cross those lines and the whistle blows all that goes out the window because you're a competitor. You want to win. I think every team is growing, just like this Leagues Cup is growing. Every team is going to take importance to win it, because they know at the end of it there's a bigger reward. So yeah, it's difficult, physically, mentally. But I think teams now are taking this tournament very, very seriously, and they want to win it,” he adds.
Following the quarter finals completion of the Club World Cup, FIFA and FIFPRO, the global footballers' union, announced mandatory 72 hour rest periods between matches for players to provide time for proper recovery. Given the format of the 2025 edition of the Leagues Cup, players should still be able to maintain this rest period requirement. Regular season MLS and Liga MX matches remain scheduled until the end of August, while most of the Leagues Cup knockout round matches will be played midweek.
You can’t mention the Leagues Cup without talking about, arguably, one of the biggest faces of the MLS. When asked about his favorite memory surrounding the tournament, Beasley brings up a defining moment. “ If I had to pick one moment, I would probably say Lionel Messi with the free kick. I think that was special, on his debut against, I think it was scoring his first goal for his club in the Leagues Cup. That was pretty special. I think that is one memory from the last 3 years that I can remember. That was a really big moment, not only for him, obviously for him, his family, and Miami, but for the Leagues Cup in general. That you have someone of that caliber come in to play for the MLS, play in Leagues Cup, and score in his first game. You can't write a better script than that. I think that was a pretty special moment for this tournament in general.”
The Leagues Cup kicks off Phase One on July 29th with matches lasting until the final day of August. With two editions already in the books, the third annual championship marks the end of a soccer-filled summer for the US, a creative step forward for MLS and a sneak peek into potential gems for the national teams as players look ahead to the 2026 World Cup.