Liga MX Must Play Next Leagues Cup Under Different Conditions, TUDN Pundit Says

Leagues Cup 2023 has come and gone, with Inter Miami having won the tournament on the back of Lionel Messi. Although the competition was intriguing, it had notable flaws. 

TUDN’s Paco Villa didn’t hide his criticism regarding how Liga MX should proceed when the next edition of Leagues Cup comes around. Villa notes that the Mexican league cannot pause their competition to play in the United States for an entire month. 

“Interrupting your tournament for almost 40 days to go play matches in the United States should never be a priority,” Villa tweeted Tuesday. “And beyond that, it threatens your main product. Don’t do it again with that dynamic. Do it without affecting your League. And play back and forth.”

While the TUDN commentator makes valid points, don’t expect the tournament to be played in Mexico anytime soon. MLS commissioner Don Garber stated that Leagues Cup will continue to be played only in the United States and Canada. 

“I think so…we’ll continue to look at those games being [in MLS venues], but I’ve learned after all these years, never say never to anything,” Garber told reporters (h/t Yahoo! Sports). 

Rayados and Club Querétaro were the two Mexican clubs to reach the quarterfinals. Afterward, it was Monterrey who only got the semifinals but would lose to Nashville SC. Fernando Ortiz’s squad would finish fourth in the tournament after dropping the third-place game to Philadelphia Union.