Website: www.leaguescup.com

Staff Involved: Various across MLS and Liga MX

Entry: Four weeks, three countries, two leagues, one champion. In a new chapter for soccer in North America, the inaugural edition of Leagues Cup featured all 47 first division professional soccer clubs in the U.S., Mexico and Canada competing in a World Cup-style tournament consisting of 77 total matches across 29 venues. In an unprecedented move in soccer history, MLS and LIGA MX paused their seasons for the first time. Featuring a substantial amount of total prize money, the top-three finishers also qualified for Concacaf Champions Cup, and the winner qualified directly to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16. Key moments included Lionel Messi’s highly anticipated debut match with Inter Miami CF and a sellout crowd of 30,000 fans for the title match between Inter Miami CF and Nashville SC, and total attendance reached 1.3 million, with an average of 17,000 fans per match. With 3.26 goals being scored per game and 36 matches having four or more goals being scored, fans viewing both in person and from around the world were treated to fast paced action that featured superstars across MLS and LIGA MX in a tournament that marked a new milestone for the sport.