The time has come for the first edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup to kick off. The tournament has experienced a rebranding and a format upgrade, where the excitement will be guaranteed for all those who are keen on watching the tournament unfold.
For the first time ever, 27 teams will be involved in the tournament that will give access to FIFA's Club World Cup in 2025 and also to the 2024 FIFA Intercontinental Cup being played in December. The first round will see 22 teams battling for eleven spots in the Round of 16, where five more teams are waiting after being handed direct spots in that round.
Here's how the draw paired up all teams for this round and their possible opponents in the Round of 16.
Concacaf Champions Cup - Which games will be played this week?
The competition will kick off with two matches on Tuesday and three more on Wednesday. There were supposed to be more games being played this week, but since most MLS clubs are still in preseason, their matches were postponed to give them a chance to get ready for the proper tournament.
The competition will begin with Comunicaciones vs Monterrey. The team from Guatemala reached the tournament after winning a play-in match in the Central American Cup, while Monterrey claimed their spot as one of the most prolific teams in Liga MX.
Next up, Real Estelí vs América will see the team from Nicaragua facing the current Liga MX champions in what could be seen as a David vs Goliath tale. América are the most winning team in the competition, and they will be keen on adding one more trophy to their cabinets in June.
Three more matches will be held on Wednesday, starting with Herediano vs Toluca in Costa Rica. Los Rojiamarillos return to the tournament after claiming a spot via the Central American Cup, while Toluca earned their place in the tournament as the runners-up in the Apertura 2022 tournament.
Once that game comes to an end, Forge vs Guadalajara will take center-stage, with the Canadians defending their honor as Premier League champions and Chivas returning to the tournament they won in 2018 for the second time in history.
Last, but not least, Vancouver Whitecaps vs Tigres UANL will see a rivalry being re-ignited. The 'Caps have failed to beat Tigres in their three games, which will make this clash between familiar foes even more interesting. The team from Canada makes it to this tournament as Canadian Championship holders, while Tigres earned their spot as Clausura 2023 winners.
Here are the kick-off times for all games being played this week.
Tuesday, 6 February | ||
Comunicaciones | ||
Real Estelí | ||
Wednesday, 7 February | ||
Herediano | ||
Forge | ||
Vancouver Whitecaps |
For more info related to the Concacaf Champions Cup, visit our dedicated website.