Get ready, folks: Wednesday night is about to get wild with four Leagues Cup quarterfinals.
This year’s format has encouraged teams to attack, which is exactly what you want to see as a neutral. Add in the rivalry between MLS and LIGA MX teams, and you get high-stakes drama that’s bound to deliver.
Here’s what I’ve got my eye on before these knockout matchups unfold, bringing us closer to who gets the three 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup spots and ultimately lifts the trophy on Aug. 31.
Inter Miami CF (MLS 2) vs. Tigres UANL (LIGA MX 3)
- WHEN: Wednesday, August 20 | 8 pm ET
- WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+; FS1, UniMás
- WHERE: Chase Stadium
This is a game worthy of a final! You have two clubs with serious star power and experience, none more prominent than Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi.
As for the likely winner, it all likely boils down to the No. 10 in pink being healthy and available. They’ve sometimes lacked ideas without Messi (Rodrigo De Paul isn’t an out-and-out chance creator), but he just needs one moment to deliver magic. I don’t envy Javier Mascherano’s position of having to navigate Messi’s desire to play every available minute.
Tigres are an incredibly tough matchup, too. They’re transitioning the squad slightly, with André-Pierre Gignac shifting into a super-sub role, and Ángel Correa signaling he’s their new main man. He has a Leagues Cup-best four goals, adding an element of pace and dynamism to their attack to go along with great finishing ability. Then there’s Juan Brunetta, who’s been one of the best midfielders in the tournament with three assists.
I expect fireworks at Chase Stadium between two of North America’s highest-profile teams. Miami will need to be compact defensively and ruthless with their chances. Do that, and they have more than a fighting chance against a Tigres team with a ton of individual quality.
Toluca FC (LIGA MX 1) vs. Orlando City (MLS 4)
- WHEN: Wednesday, August 20 | 9 pm ET
- WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+
- WHERE: Dignity Health Sports Park
This quarterfinal might be the most evenly balanced in terms of two high-quality teams that could easily win it all. I honestly think it’s a toss-up and will boil down to which attacking stars have the better game.
Orlando City’s Martín Ojeda has arguably been the best player in Leagues Cup. He has six goal contributions (3g/3a) through Phase One and is playing the best soccer of his career. He’s launched himself into the top three of the Landon Donovan MLS MVP discussion, even above Evander, and just keeps leveling up. Add in Luis Muriel and Marco Pašalić, and the Lions have players who can really hurt you.
Then with Toluca, there’s the one-two punch of Paulinho and Alexis Vega. Paulinho is the joint-top scorer in Leagues Cup with four goals, and has the goal of the tournament with an incredible bicycle kick against Montréal. Vega is in tremendous form for club and country, creating chances and finishing them seemingly at will. They’re a huge reason why Toluca won Clausura and Campeón de Campeones titles in recent months.
For Orlando, this is a chance to prove they can win these high-pressure knockout games and raise another trophy. Oscar Pareja consistently has his team playing beautiful soccer and going on deep runs… now let’s see them back it up to be truly regarded as one of the region’s best teams.
Seattle Sounders FC (MLS 1) vs. Club Puebla (LIGA MX 4)
- WHEN: Wednesday, August 20 | 11 pm ET
- WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+; FS1, UniMás
- WHERE: Lumen Field
Make no mistake: Seattle are favored here by a sizable margin. They were the only team to win all three of their Phase One games, and that 7-0 thumping of Cruz Azul was a historic result for an MLS team against a LIGA MX powerhouse.
Now, they come up against a Puebla team that is overmatched. They're the Cinderella team of Leagues Cup, and it feels like they’re playing with house money. They’ve also lost four of five games in the LIGA MX Apertura, showing the gap between these two sides.
This won’t be a gimme for the Sounders, but they should win this game handily. They’ve been in fantastic form since the FIFA Club World Cup and have found a perfect recipe of depth, balance and efficiency in both boxes.
Pedro de la Vega is healthy and looking the most fit, dangerous and dynamic he's ever been in MLS. His ceiling is the best player on the field every time he’s out there. Also, who would have thought Osaze de Rosario and Danny Musovski would be leading the line? Then there’s the center-back pairing of Jackson Ragen and Yeimar, plus Cristian Roldan and Obed Vargas in midfield.
Sure, Seattle are weathering some injuries. But with their renewed focus, there’s every chance they could go all the way.
LA Galaxy (MLS 3) vs. CF Pachuca (LIGA MX 2)
- WHEN: Wednesday, August 20 | 11:45 pm ET
- WATCH: Apple TV - MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+
- WHERE: Dignity Health Sports Park
There's no reason to sugarcoat what this season has been for the LA Galaxy: It's been below standard and shocking at times. But this is the moment when you salvage your season, because you have the talent to do it.
LA have full hosting rights throughout the rest of Leagues Cup. So, make use of that and put all your eggs in this basket. This is your avenue to lift a trophy during a difficult season and return to the Concacaf Champions Cup.
Their Designated Players have finally stepped up – Joseph Painstil and Gabriel Pec have combined for five goals in Leagues Cup. For whatever reason in MLS games, their attack has been snake-bitten and downright casual at times. But you can see there's a greater sense of urgency in Leagues Cup.
My worry for LA is their defense. Pachuca boast plenty of danger and ways to hurt you, whether it’s a young talent like Alexéi Domínguez or someone more experienced like Jhonder Cádiz. That's the Achilles' heel for this matchup, and makes me think LA will have to outscore them.
