CONCACAF rebrands top club competition the Champions Cup
The tournament had been known as the Champions League since 2009
CONCACAF will change the name of its top club competition back to the Champions Cup.
Starting next year, the tournament will revert back to the name it had been known for from 1962 through 2008, the confederation announced on Tuesday.
“The Concacaf Champions Cup will take continental club football in our region to the next level,” said CONCACAF President Victor Montagliani. “It will elevate leagues and clubs across CONCACAF and the new name for the competition — alongside this vibrant new brand — allows us to celebrate our rich history while looking ahead to a great future of international club football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.”
The Champions Cup will also expand to 27 teams, up from 16 that competed this past season. Five teams will get automatic first round byes.
The first round, round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals will be home-and-away, total goals series. The final will be one game.
“We are incredibly excited about this new ecosystem and for the first edition of the new and expanded CONCACAF Champions Cup next year,” said CONCACAF General Secretary Philippe Moggio. “In considering options for the name of the tournament we conducted significant research among our stakeholders, including with fans.”
Moggio said keeping the word “Champions” was “crucial for us to highlight that this tournament is at the top of the club pyramid in CONCACAF and we also feel that moving away from ‘Champions League’ allows us to develop a unique identity for our club competition.”
Mexico’s Club Leon won the Champions League this past Sunday in Los Angeles after defeating LAFC 3-1 on aggregate over two legs.
Mexican clubs have dominated the competition, winning 17 of the last 18 titles. Seattle Sounders FC won in 2022.