The CONCACAF Champions Cup has returned this week with the first legs of the quarterfinals. Four Liga MX clubs remain in the competition.
Liga MX’s Historical Success
Mexican football continues to dominate CONCACAF by nearly every statistical measure. Liga MX has lost just two finals in the past 20 years. Liga MX is home to the two most successful clubs in the history of the tournament.
Club América and Cruz Azul are the most decorated sides in the competition, with seven titles apiece. América has played eight finals, while Cruz Azul has reached nine.
Pachuca has reached six finals and Monterrey five, and both sides have won every single championship match they have contested.
Non-Mexican Teams in the Top Ten
Four teams that are not Mexican feature in the top ten most successful clubs in tournament history. Deportivo Saprissa (Costa Rica), SV Transvaal (Suriname), LD Alajuelense (Costa Rica), and Defence Force FC (Trinidad and Tobago) account for nine combined titles.
Liga MX vs MLS in Finals
Overall, Liga MX teams have played 60 finals in the history of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The next most prolific nation is Costa Rica, whose clubs have appeared in 12 championship matches.
Teams from Major League Soccer have reached just 11 CONCACAF finals, winning three and losing eight. All eight defeats came against Liga MX opposition.
- D.C. United beat Toluca in 1998.
- The Seattle Sounders defeated Pumas in 2022.
- The LA Galaxy captured the 2000 title by defeating Club Olimpia Deportivo of Honduras.
Club América’s Records
Club América holds the records for the most matches played, the most wins, the most goals scored, and the highest single-edition goal total in CONCACAF Champions Cup history.
Las Águilas have played 87 matches, won 50, and scored 176 goals across all their appearances. They scored 35 goals during the 2014-15 tournament alone.
Other Historical Records
Two clubs have managed to take away historical records from América. Hondurans Olimpia hold the records for most tournament appearances (38 editions played) and most goals conceded in a single tournament (27).
Cruz Azul is the only other club to strip América of a historic mark. The all-time leading scorer in the CONCACAF Champions Cup is Javier “Chuletita” Orozco, with 25 goals – 24 scored with La Máquina and one with Santos Laguna.
CONCACAF Champions Cup action resumes on Tuesday, as the competition enters the quarterfinal first legs.