The champions of Major League Soccer and Liga MX will meet in an annual competition — the Campeones Cup — both leagues announced Tuesday morning.
The 2018 edition will be hosted by MLS Cup champion Toronto FC at BMO Field in Toronto Sept. 19.
Liga MX’s representative will be decided in mid-July in a Campeon de Campeones matchup between the Mexican League’s two tournament champions: Apertura (Tigres UANL) and Clausura (to be played in May 2018). For information on this year’s Campeones Cup, click www.CampeonesCup.com.
The MLS-Liga MX partnership is working on additional competitions in the future, including commitment for a future MLS All-Star Game featuring the best players from both leagues facing off. Also, the Liga MX Under-20 teams will participate during MLS all-star Week as the annual opponent in the MLS Homegrown Game.
“Major League Soccer is proud to come together with Liga MX for this unprecedented partnership,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “Together, we have a vision to elevate the popularity of our game to even higher levels in North America. We are excited to have the MLS champion take on Liga MX’s top club in the Campeones Cup this year and build further programs in the years to come.”
Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla endorsed the competition as well.
“For Mexican soccer, accepting the invitation to this project is a fantastic opportunity to meet our vital goals with a long-term vision,” he said. “First, it will allow us to grow closer to our fans in the United States and Canada, who are passionate about their Liga MX clubs. Second, it establishes a strategic alliance between the two leagues to exchange experiences and implement best practices throughout both organizations, which will organically assist the growth of soccer in the region.”
For information on this year’s Campeones Cup, click www.CampeonesCup.com.