June 7 – In a major rebranding move designed to embrace the confederation’s past and build identity around its new expanded club competitions, Concacaf has renamed its Champions League.
Now called the Concacaf Champions Cup, the name change is a return to its former title that was used from 1962 to 2008. With then name change comes a new, modern, look and feel to brand assets.
The move is very much part of new club eco-system within Concacaf as it expands with new club competitions in the Caribbean and Central America that sit alongside the new Leagues Cup (between LigaMX and MLS clubs) and will feed qualifiers into the region’s top tier Concacaf Champions Cup.
“The Concacaf Champions Cup will take continental club football in our region to the next level. 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,” said Concacaf president and FIFA vice president, Victor Montagliani.
Concacaf emphasised that over the 61 years of the competition it has been won by 30 different clubs, highlighting a “diversity of champions” and its competitiveness.
Alongside the expansion and rebranding Concacaf is to increase the financial distributions and prize money for participating clubs. From 2024, the Concacaf Champions Cup champion will receive $5 million+ in financial distributions and prize money, a five-fold increase on the Concacaf Champions League era.
“We are incredibly excited about this new ecosystem and for the first edition of the new and expanded Concacaf Champions Cup next year. In considering options for the name of the tournament we conducted significant research among our stakeholders, including with fans,” said Concacaf general secretary Philippe Moggio.
“Maintaining 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. In returning to the original tournament name, we will have the opportunity to truly connect the last 61 years of Continental club football in Concacaf with what is coming in the future.”
Of the 27 clubs that will participate, 22 will begin play in Round One and five will receive a bye to the Round of 16.
The format of the Concacaf Champions Cup alters with 27 clubs participating, 22 will begin play in Round One and five will receive a bye to the Round of 16.
That round begins the direct elimination knockout stage which will be composed of five rounds: Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final.
The first four stages will each include home and away play, while the Final, where the region’s Champion will be crowned, will now be played as a single-leg match on a weekend date.
Club Leon won the 2023 Champions League last weekend with an away leg 1-0 win over LAFC, taking the title 3-1 on aggregate.
While the rebranding is focussed on the Champions League it is very much part of a co-ordinated club competition structure with the new Concacaf Caribbean Cup that will crown a Caribbean champion, a new Concacaf Central American Cup that will crown a Central American champion, and the expanded Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX clubs.
All three regional cups will have direct qualification berths into the new Concacaf Champions Cup. The top clubs in North America will still be able to qualify through domestic leagues (Liga MX, MLS, CPL) and cup competitions (US Open Cup, Canadian Championship).
See: Concacaf unveils draw detail for new club competitions in Caribbean and Central America
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