CONCACAF Champions Cup facts for kids
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| Organizing body | CONCACAF |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1962 |
| Region | North America Central America Caribbean |
| Number of teams | 27 (2024) |
| Qualifier for | FIFA Club World Cup FIFA Intercontinental Cup |
| Current champion(s) |  Cruz Azul(7th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | América Cruz Azul (7 titles each) |
| Television broadcasters | CONCACAF () |
The CONCACAF Champions Cup is a big international soccer tournament. It is organized by CONCACAF, which is the main soccer group for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. This competition is the top club tournament in the region.
The team that wins the Champions Cup gets to play in two other major tournaments: the FIFA Club World Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. From 2008 to 2023, this tournament was known as the CONCACAF Champions League.
The tournament uses a knockout style, meaning teams are eliminated after losing. Before 2018, it also had a group stage. Unlike some other big tournaments, the winner of the CONCACAF Champions Cup does not automatically get to play in the next year's tournament.
Many different clubs have won this title, 30 in total. Fourteen of these clubs have won it more than once. Teams from Liga MX in Mexico have won the most titles, with 40 wins. Liga FPD from Costa Rica is second with six titles. The clubs Club América and Cruz Azul are the most successful, each winning seven titles. Deportivo Saprissa is the most successful non-Mexican club, with three titles. Only four Mexican teams have won the title two years in a row: América, Cruz Azul, Pachuca, and Monterrey. The current champions are Cruz Azul, who won the 2025 final against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Contents
How the Games Are Played
Each round of the tournament usually has two games between two teams. One game is played at each team's home stadium. The team that scores more goals in total over both games wins. This is called "aggregate goals."
If the total goals are tied, the "away goals rule" is used. This means the team that scored more goals in the game played at their opponent's stadium wins. If it's still tied, the game goes into extra time. If it's still tied after extra time, the winner is decided by a penalty shoot-out.
Before 2018, the tournament had two parts. First, there was a group stage from August to October. Then, the knockout games were played from March to May of the next year. In the group stage, 24 teams played in eight groups. The winner of each group moved on to the knockout rounds.
History of the Tournament
| Edition | Champions |
|---|---|
| CONCACAF Champions' Cup | |
| 1962 |  Guadalajara |
| 1963 |  Racing CH |
| 1967 |  Alianza |
| 1968 | Toluca |
| 1969 | Cruz Azul |
| 1970 | Cruz Azul (2) |
| 1971 | Cruz Azul (3) |
| 1972 |  Olimpia |
| 1973 |  Transvaal |
| 1974 |  Municipal |
| 1975 | Atlético Español |
| 1976 | Águila |
| 1977 | América |
| 1978 | UdeG Comunicaciones Defence Force |
| 1979 | FAS |
| 1980 | UNAM |
| 1981 |  Transvaal (2) |
| 1982 | UNAM (2) |
| 1983 | Atlante |
| 1984 |  Violette |
| 1985 | Defence Force (2) |
| 1986 |  Alajuelense |
| 1987 | América (2) |
| 1988 | Olimpia (2) |
| 1989 | UNAM (3) |
| 1990 | America (3) |
| 1991 | Puebla |
| 1992 | América (4) |
| 1993 | Saprissa |
| 1994 | Cartaginés |
| 1995 | Saprissa (2) |
| 1996 | Cruz Azul (4) |
| 1997 | Cruz Azul (5) |
| 1998 |  D.C. United |
| 1999 | Necaxa |
| 2000 | LA Galaxy |
| 2002 | Pachuca |
| 2003 | Toluca (2) |
| 2004 | Alajuelense (2) |
| 2005 | Saprissa (3) |
| 2006 | América (5) |
| 2007 | Pachuca (2) |
| 2008 | Pachuca (3) |
| CONCACAF Champions League | |
| 2008–09 | Atlante (2) |
| 2009–10 | Pachuca (4) |
| 2010–11 | Monterrey |
| 2011–12 | Monterrey (2) |
| 2012–13 | Monterrey (3) |
| 2013–14 | Cruz Azul (6) |
| 2014–15 | América (6) |
| 2015–16 | América (7) |
| 2016–17 | Pachuca (5) |
| 2018 | Guadalajara (2) |
| 2019 | Monterrey (4) |
| 2020 | UANL |
| 2021 | Monterrey (5) |
| 2022 | Seattle Sounders FC |
| 2023 | León |
| CONCACAF Champions Cup | |
| 2024 | Pachuca (6) |
| 2025 | Cruz Azul (7) |
Champions' Cup Era (1962–2008)
Before 2008, the tournament was called the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. It was first created to help teams enter the Copa Libertadores, a big South American tournament. The Champions' Cup changed its rules many times over the years. At first, only the champions of North American leagues played. Later, more teams joined, including runners-up, and the tournament grew.
From 1997 to 2008, it became an eight-team knockout tournament. Teams qualified from different regions: North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Since 2005, the winner of the Champions' Cup has earned a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. This made the tournament even more exciting for clubs and fans.
Champions League Era (2008–2023)
In 2007, CONCACAF decided to make the Champions' Cup bigger and rename it the "Champions League." This new tournament started in August 2008. It had 24 teams, which was more than before.
In this new format, some teams played in a preliminary round. The winners then joined other teams in a group stage. Teams played each other twice in their groups. The top two teams from each group moved on to the knockout rounds. All knockout games, including the final, were played over two legs. The away goals rule was used in this era.
In 2012, the preliminary round was removed. All 24 teams went straight into the group stage. Teams were put into eight groups of three. The winner of each group went to the quarterfinals. The knockout stage was still two-legged, and the away goals rule applied.
In 2017, CONCACAF changed the format again for the 2018 tournament. They removed the group stage entirely. The Champions League became a 16-team knockout tournament from start to finish. A new tournament called the CONCACAF League was created. Its top teams would then qualify for the Champions League.
Second Champions Cup Era (2024–Present)
In 2021, CONCACAF planned a big change for the tournament, but that plan was not used. In September 2021, they announced a new expansion starting in 2024. The tournament kept its knockout format but grew to five rounds with 27 teams.
Teams can qualify for the Champions Cup through their local leagues or cups. They can also qualify through regional tournaments like the Leagues Cup (for North America), the CONCACAF Central American Cup (for Central America), and the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup (for the Caribbean). Twenty-two teams start in Round One. Five teams get a bye directly to the Round of 16.
All matches from the first round to the semifinals are played over two legs (home and away). The final is a single match. In June 2023, the tournament was renamed back to the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Stadium Rules
Clubs must have stadiums that meet certain standards to host games. If a club's stadium is not good enough, they must find another suitable stadium in their country. If they cannot, their team might be replaced by another. For example, Real Esteli from Nicaragua had stadium issues in the past. Their stadium has since been improved.
The CONCACAF Champions Cup has seen some very large crowds. On May 4, 2022, Seattle Sounders FC set a new attendance record. A total of 68,741 fans watched them play Pumas UNAM in the final at Lumen Field.
Prizes and Sponsors
Prize Money
Starting in 2024, the winning club receives over $5,000,000 in prize money. The winning team also gets to play in the FIFA Club World Cup, which offers even more prize money.
In 2022, the prize money was:
- Champions: $500,000
- Runners-up: $300,000
- Semifinalists: $200,000
Trophy and Medals
Every year, the winning team gets the CONCACAF Champions Cup trophy. The current trophy design was first used in 2018.
Sponsorship
The CONCACAF Champions Cup has several company sponsors. These include Scotiabank, Miller Lite, MoneyGram, Maxxis Tires, and Nike. Their names are seen around the field and at press conferences. Nike also provides the game balls and referee uniforms.
Where to Watch
| Region | Broadcaster | Language |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | ESPN | English |
 Brunei |
Astro SuperSport | English |
 Malaysia |
||
 Canada |
OneSoccer | English/French |
 Caribbean |
Flow Sports | English |
 Costa Rica |
|
Spanish |
 El Salvador |
|
Spanish |
 Guatemala |
|
Spanish |
 Honduras |
|
Spanish |
| Indian subcontinent | Fancode | English |
 Israel |
Charlton | Hebrew |
 Mexico |
Tubi | Spanish |
 Middle East and North Africa |
|
Arabic |
 Netherlands |
ESPN | Dutch |
 Panama |
|
Spanish |
 Spain |
Movistar Plus+ | Spanish |
 Thailand |
BG Sports | Thai |
 United States |
Fox Sports | English |
| Univision • TUDN | Spanish | |
 Vietnam |
FPT Play | Vietnamese |
You can also watch the CONCACAF Champions Cup in South America on ESPN (Star+). It is also available globally in English through Concacaf GO.
Tournament Results
The tournament has been held 59 times since it started in 1962. It was not held only four times (1964, 1965, 1966, and 2001).
Teams from 12 different countries have played in the finals. Clubs from nine countries have won at least one title. These countries are Mexico, Costa Rica, United States, El Salvador, Suriname, Honduras, Trinidad and Tobago, Guatemala, and Haiti.
During the Champions League era (2008–2023), only clubs from Mexico, the United States, and Canada reached the finals. Mexican clubs won 14 of the 15 titles during this time. One title was won by a club from the United States.
Team Success
| Club | Titles | Runners-up | Years won | Years runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cruz Azul |
7 | 2 | 1969, 1970, 1971, 1996, 1997, 2013–14, 2025 | 2008–09, 2009–10 |
| América |
7 | 1 | 1977, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2006, 2014–15, 2015–16 | 2021 |
| Pachuca |
6 | 0 | 2002, 2007, 2008, 2009–10, 2016–17, 2024 | — |
| Monterrey |
5 | 0 | 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2019, 2021 | — |
| UNAM |
3 | 2 | 1980, 1982, 1989 | 2005, 2022 |
| Saprissa |
3 | 2 | 1993, 1995, 2005 | 2004, 2008 |
| Toluca |
2 | 3 | 1968, 2003 | 1998, 2006, 2013–14 |
| Transvaal |
2 | 3 | 1973, 1981 | 1974, 1975, 1986 |
| Alajuelense |
2 | 3 | 1986, 2004 | 1971, 1992, 1999 |
| Guadalajara |
2 | 2 | 1962, 2018 | 1963, 2007 |
 Olimpia |
2 | 2 | 1972, 1988 | 1985, 2000 |
| Defence Force |
2 | 2 | 19781, 1985 | 1987, 1988 |
| Atlante |
2 | 1 | 1983, 2008–09 | 1994 |
| UANL |
1 | 3 | 2020 | 2015–16, 2016–17, 2019 |
| Comunicaciones |
1 | 2 | 19781 | 1962, 1969 |
| Municipal |
1 | 1 | 1974 | 1995 |
| Necaxa |
1 | 1 | 1999 | 1996 |
| LA Galaxy |
1 | 1 | 2000 | 1997 |
| León |
1 | 1 | 2023 | 1993 |
 Racing CH |
1 | 0 | 1963 | — |
| Alianza |
1 | 0 | 1967 | — |
| Atlético Español |
1 | 0 | 1975 | — |
| Águila |
1 | 0 | 1976 | — |
| UdeG |
1 | 0 | 19781 | — |
| FAS |
1 | 0 | 1979 | — |
| Violette |
1 | 0 | 1984 | — |
| Puebla |
1 | 0 | 1991 | — |
| Cartaginés |
1 | 0 | 1994 | — |
| D.C. United |
1 | 0 | 1998 | — |
| Seattle Sounders |
1 | 0 | 2022 | — |
| Robinhood |
0 | 5 | — | 1972, 1976, 1977, 1982, 1983 |
 Jong Colombia |
0 | 2 | — | 1967, 1979 |
 Pinar del Río |
0 | 2 | — | 1989, 1990 |
| Morelia |
0 | 2 | — | 2002, 2003 |
| Santos Laguna |
0 | 2 | — | 2011–12, 2012–13 |
| Los Angeles FC |
0 | 2 | — | 2020, 2023 |
| Universidad |
0 | 1 | — | 1980 |
| Atlético Marte |
0 | 1 | — | 1981 |
| Police |
0 | 1 | — | 1991 |
| Real Salt Lake |
0 | 1 | — | 2010–11 |
 CF Montréal |
0 | 1 | — | 2014–15 |
| Toronto FC |
0 | 1 | — | 2018 |
| Columbus Crew |
0 | 1 | — | 2024 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps FC |
0 | 1 | — | 2025 |
- Notes
- Title shared, the final round was not held, the winners of the North American, Central American and Caribbean zones were declared joint champions.
| Nation | Titles | Runners-up | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico1 |
40 | 20 | 60 |
| Costa Rica |
6 | 5 | 11 |
| United States |
3 | 5 | 8 |
| El Salvador |
3 | 1 | 4 |
 Suriname |
2 | 8 | 10 |
| Honduras |
2 | 3 | 5 |
 Trinidad and Tobago1 |
2 | 3 | 5 |
| Guatemala1 |
2 | 3 | 5 |
 Haiti |
2 | 0 | 2 |
| Canada |
0 | 3 | 3 |
 Cuba |
0 | 2 | 2 |
 Curaçao |
0 | 2 | 2 |
- Notes
- Includes 1 title shared
See also
In Spanish: Copa de Campeones de la Concacaf para niños
- CONCACAF
- CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup
- CONCACAF Giants Cup
- CONCACAF League
- CONCACAF Central American Cup
- CONCACAF Caribbean Cup
- Leagues Cup
- Continental football championships
- List of association football competitions
