The UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious club Soccer competition in the world, and it is watched by Millions of fans around the globe, so some of you may wonder where the American representation is in this historic tournament.
Today we’ll be providing an in-depth answer to this question and telling you what competition US Soccer teams can play in each season.
A Matter of Geography
The simplest answer to this question is that the UEFA Champions League is open to all professional European clubs that have qualified from their domestic leagues. Since MLS is part of America, they aren’t allowed to compete in the Champions League.
UEFA is the governing body of European Soccer, and since the competition’s inception in 1955 (under its old name of the European Cup) only teams based in Europe have been able to compete in the Champions League.
With MLS teams being located in the United States, they are not permitted to be members of UEFA and can therefore not qualify for the Champions League.
What Competition Can MLS Teams Qualify For?
As was mentioned earlier, MLS teams cannot be members of UEFA. This may sound like Soccer teams from the US are being excluded from playing on the biggest stage, but here in North America, we have our own version of UEFA and a competition that they run annually.
MLS teams are members of CONCACAF, which stands for the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football. This governing body of all Soccer related activities in this part of the world run the CONCACAF Champions League, a competition that is equally as prestigious to win as the UEFA Champions League for teams in the US.
The tournament was first run in 1962, just seven years after its European equivalent and was won by Club Deportivo Guadalajara from Mexico. In its early years, the competition was instead known as the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup. In 2008, the competition become known as the CONCACAF Champions League.
The Format of The CONCACAF Champions League
In 2018, the format of the CONCACAF Champions League was adapted to make the competition run for longer and allow more teams to compete for the trophy (the group stage was removed completely). It must be said that the format can be difficult to understand at first.
In the early parts of the Soccer season 22 teams from across the CONCACAF region compete in what is known as the CONCACAF League. This preliminary competition acts as a qualifying tournament for the main Champions League that takes place later in the season.
The CONCACAF League features just one North American team each season, with the top six teams in the League advancing to the CONCACAF Champions League.
Once the qualifying process is complete, the main tournament can get underway. The CONCACAF Champions League is made up of 16 teams from across the Confederation that are randomly drawn against each other for a total of four rounds until the Final is reached.
Each round (including the Final) is made up of two-legs, with both competing sides playing each other twice, once at home and once away. The winner over these two matches progresses into the next round. If there is a draw, the tie is decided by away goals. Failing this, extra-time and penalties will be required.
The Final of the CONCACAF Champions League is played in May, with the winner of this tie being declared the Tournament Winners.
MLS Teams In The CONCACAF Champions League
MLS Teams have been playing in the CONCACAF Champions League since the 2008/09 season and before that partook in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The league may send up to five teams to the competition each season, up to four from the US and one from Canada.
It has taken some time for MLS Teams to enjoy any real success in the CONCACAF Champions League though, with no side even winning their group (in the old format) until 2010 when Real Salt Lake managed it. The same Salt Lake side reached the Final in 2011, where they were beaten by Monterrey of Mexico.
Four other MLS sides have also reached the Final (CF Montréal, Los Angeles FC, Toronto FC, and Seattle Sounders), all but one faced the bitter taste of defeat in the biggest game in their respective histories.
The one MLS team that has managed to win the CONCACAF Champions League are the current holders of the famous trophy, Seattle Sounders. The Sounders took on Mexican side U.N.A.M in the Final and were comfortable 5-2 winners following the two-legged match up.
Can MLS Teams Ever Play Against European Clubs?
The short answer to this is yes, of course, they can!
The realistic answer is that it is incredibly rare that this will be in a truly competitive fixture though. Many European clubs decide to visit North America during their pre-season preparations for a variety of reasons.
Larger sides such as Manchester United, Liverpool, and Real Madrid come to profit from the large crowds that are always guaranteed thanks to the amazing American fans. Up until 2020, there was a major pre-season tournament called the International Champions Cup that often-held games in the US in which MLS teams took on European opposition.
In order for an MLS team to take on a European side in a competitive fixture, both teams would need to win their respective Champions League’s. This would then qualify them both for the FIFA Club World Cup, an annual contest that is designed to find the ultimate Soccer champions.
This season Seattle Sounders will be the first MLS team to take part in the FIFA Club World Cup, after winning the CONCACAF Champions League last season. The Sounders could meet Real Madrid, the biggest club in Europe at some point in this competition.
The Spaniards are the favorites to win the tournament, meaning that it would be a major upset if the Sounders (or any other side) were to knock them out.
Now that you have all the knowledge that you need as to why MLS teams don’t play in the UEFA Champions League, as well as what competitions they can compete in each season go and wow your friends with it.
