Major League Soccer and Liga MX are facing off in Ohio, Tennessee and Utah.
The two leagues announced Thursday the addition of three matches to this year's Leagues Cup Showcase, featuring FC Cincinnati vs. Chivas of Guadalajara, Nashville SC vs. Club America, and Real Salt Lake vs. Atlas FC in September. This will be the first time in history these clubs will face off.
The matches join the previously announced marquee doubleheader in Los Angeles featuring LA Galaxy vs. Chivas and LAFC vs. Club America on August 3. The five games will be broadcast on Univision and ESPN in the United States, and TUDN in Mexico.
The Leagues Cup Showcase will serve as a preview to the highly-anticipated Leagues Cup – the annual, month-long official tournament between MLS and Liga MX – that will kick off in the summer of 2023.
Matches and dates
- FC Cincinnati vs. Chivas of Guadalajara - Sept. 21 - TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, OH
- Nashville SC vs. Club América - Sept. 21 - GEODIS Park, Nashville, TN
- Real Salt Lake vs. Atlas FC - Sept. 22 - Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, UT
FC Cincinnati vs. Chivas of Guadalajara
FC Cincinnati will host their first-ever international match since joining MLS as an expansion team in 2019 at TQL Stadium, which hosted its first game in spring of 2021. With a capacity to seat 26,000 fans, the arena is one of the league’s newest soccer-specific stadium jewels.
“We are thrilled to host Chivas of Guadalajara at TQL Stadium,” FC Cincinnati co-CEO Jeff Berding said in a release. “Cincinnati has hosted a number of incredible international soccer events, including FC Cincinnati’s match against Crystal Palace, which at the time was the largest soccer crowd in Ohio history, a US national team World Cup qualifier versus Mexico, and other US Men’s and Women’s friendlies. It’s an honor to continue that history with an exciting Leagues Cup Showcase match for our fans this September.”
FC Cincinnati season ticket holders will have priority access to purchase tickets through an exclusive presale. Tickets will be made available to the public on Monday, July 18 at 9 am ET via SeatGeek.
Nashville SC vs. Club America
Like Cincinnati, Nashville SC will host their first-ever international match when they take on Club America. They will do so at the brand-new GEODIS Park inaugurated this May, which, at 30,000 capacity, is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the United States.
“We could not be more excited about hosting our first international match at GEODIS Park,” Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre said in a release. “Nashville has been buzzing with excitement for soccer since we started in MLS in 2020 and even more so since we opened the doors to our new home. Facing off here against Mexico’s most decorated club side is an awesome next step on our soccer journey.”
Nashville SC season ticket holders will also have priority access to purchase tickets through an exclusive presale. Tickets will be made available to the public on Thursday, July 21 at 10 am ET via Ticketmaster.
Real Salt Lake vs. Atlas FC
Real Salt Lake enter the Leagues Cup Showcase having experienced multiple meetings against Mexican opposition, including in the 2019 Leagues Cup against Tigres and the 2011 Concacaf Champions League final against Monterrey. At Rio Tinto Stadium, they will welcome Atlas FC, back-to-back Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022 winners, which make them the current Liga MX Campeón de Campeones – the overall Mexican league champion.
“Real Salt Lake is proud of our vast history of competing against international opponents, whether that be in Concacaf Champions League, international friendlies or the 2019 Leagues Cup,” RSL president John Kimball said in a release. “Welcoming Atlas FC in September to Utah for the 42nd RSL game against 30 different international opponents from 16 various countries will no doubt serve as a fantastic reward for our incredible supporters, who have long proven to value international pathways to prestigious regional hardware. We cannot wait to host this year’s Leagues Cup Showcase, and look forward to providing Atlas a sense of the best Utah has to offer.”
Tickets details for this match will be revealed at a later date but Real Salt Lake season ticket holders will have priority access through an exclusive presale.
The Leagues Cup Showcase will be a taste of what’s to come in 2023, when all 47 MLS and Liga MX clubs will participate in the Leagues Cup while both leagues break from domestic play. The tournament’s expansion is the product of a partnership that began in 2018 and will continue to build to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
