Concacaf confirms 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup draw and final dates and key details

MIAMI – Concacaf has confirmed key dates and details about the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, including the dates of the draw and the Final for the tournament. The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Draw will be conducted on Tuesday, December 9 at 7 p.m. ET. The tournament itself will kick off in February and culminate with the Final on Saturday, May 30, 2026. The competition will feature 27 of the region’s top clubs competing to be crowned Concacaf club champions and a place in the next edition of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2029. 

The draw will determine the tournament’s bracket, setting the stage for the exciting matchups that will shape each participating club’s path to the Final. The made-for-TV live event, hosted from Miami, FL, will be widely available for fans around the world through Concacaf’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/concacaf) and the Confederation’s TV partner networks.

COMPETITION FORMAT

The Concacaf Champions Cup continues to be played in a direct elimination knockout stage format and is composed of five rounds: Round One, Round of 16, Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Final. 

The first four stages each include home and away play, while the Final, where the region’s Champion will be crowned, is played as a single-leg match.

Of the 27 clubs that will participate, 22 begin play in Round One and five receive a bye to the Round of 16.

COMPETITION DATES

The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup will have five rounds, starting with Round One in early February. The tournament will continue with the Round of 16 in March, the Quarterfinals in April, the Semifinals in April and May, and the Final on Saturday, May 30.

Official Draw: Dec. 9, 2025
Round One: Feb. 3 – 5 (Week 1), Feb. 10 – 12 (Week 2), Feb. 17 – 19 (Week 3), Feb. 24 – 26 (Week 4)
Round of 16: March 10 – 12 (First Legs), March 17 – 19 (Second Legs)
Quarterfinals: April 7 – 9 (First Legs), April 14 – 16 (Second Legs)
Semifinals: April 28 – 30 (First Legs), May 5 – 7 (Second Legs)
Final: May 30, 2026 (Single Leg)

PARTICIPATING CLUBS

Clubs qualify for the Concacaf Champions Cup via three regional cups in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, as well as domestic leagues and cups for Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The three regional cups (Leagues Cup, Concacaf Central American Cup, and Concacaf Caribbean Cup) take place between August and December of each year, play an essential role in the Confederation's club ecosystem, and crown their champions.

Of the 27 clubs that will compete in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, nine have already secured their place; the clubs are:

The remaining places will be filled by the qualifying clubs from the following competitions (in alphabetical order per tournament):

Canadian Championship (one club): 

Canadian Premier League (two clubs): 

DRAW PROCEDURES

Based on the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup regulations, qualification criteria, and the Concacaf Club Rankings (as of December 8, 2025), each of the 27 participating clubs will either be pre-seeded into a Round of 16 or Round One bracket, or assigned to one of the two Club pots, as follows:

Further details about the draw will be announced at a later date.