Last Updated on February 4, 2024 6:40 pm by Erwin Noguera
CONCACAF soccer will restart its biggest party on February 6, when the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the tournament that brings together the best clubs in North and Central America, kicks off.
The reigning champion is Club León, from Mexico, which will have to go through several stages to try to repeat the tournament.
CONCACAF Champions Cup 2024 – Format
The format of the competition is as follows: first, a round of direct elimination with first and second-leg games, with a total of 11 matches. Here, we would see great duels like Saprissa vs. Philadelphia Union, Herediano vs. Toluca, Real Estelí vs. Club América, Forge vs. Chivas, Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Tigres UANL, Comunicaciones vs. Monterrey, and St. Louis City vs. Houston Dynamo.
The qualified teams advance to the round of 16, eight matches that will be defined by a draw. These matches will take place in March.
We should point out that clubs such as Pachuca, Alajuelense, Columbus Crew, and Inter Miami of Argentine Lionel Messi and Uruguayan Luis Suárez, are already in this round.
Subsequently, the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the final, which will be a single match on June 2 of this year, will be played.
The champion of the CONCACAF Champions Cup will go directly to the 2025 Club World Cup, which will be the first with 32 teams and will be in the United States.
CONCACAF Champions Cup 2024 – Favorites
Inter Miami
Although there are teams with a longer history, and probably a better present, the biggest attraction of the tournament is Inter Miami, a team reinforced to try to create a dynasty in U.S. soccer.
They qualified for the Champions Cup thanks to the Leagues Cup, since in MLS, they failed to qualify for the Playoffs. However, in the middle of 2023, they could achieve the most talked-about signing of the past year, as Lionel Messi left PSG to wear the pink jersey.
The Argentinian’s level was brutal in the first few months, winning the first title in the history of the franchise. But he didn’t do it alone. Also under the guidance of Gerardo ‘El Tata’ Martino were the likes of left-back Jordi Alba and midfielder Sergio Busquets.
A new figure arrived at the club to try to win more trophies: Uruguayan striker Luis Suárez, who excelled in Europe with Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona, and Atlético de Madrid. In addition, in 2023, and with 37 years, he achieved a great level in Brazilian soccer with Gremio.
Club América
On the other hand, we must talk about Club América, a team that has just become the champion of Liga MX with an almost unblemished second half of 2023, beating up most of its rivals with an offense loaded with a lot of talent: Julián Quiñones, Diego Valdés, Henry Martín, and Alejandro Zendejas.
Undoubtedly, from Mexico, this is the team that, a priori, looks like the most fearsome.
Chivas de Guadalajar
On the other side is Chivas, whose most relevant reinforcement is Javier ‘El Chicharito’ Hernández, a striker with a great history with the Mexico National team that has worn the jerseys of Manchester United, Real Madrid, Sevilla, and Bayer Leverkusen.
Outside candidates
Tigres, with historic French striker André-Pierre Gignac, Monterrey, and Pachuca, are other candidates from Mexico, while Costa Rica has the always-complicated Alajuelense.
In U.S. soccer, the Columbus Crew, the reigning champion, is a team to keep an eye on, especially because of the level of Colombian striker Juan Camilo ‘El Cucho’ Hernandez, who starred in the last MLS final.
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