The 2022 CONCACAF Champions League, the 57th edition of the North American club championship, is set to crown the top club team in the continent across a four-month knockout tournament.
Current title holders Monterrey did not qualify for this year’s competition, so a new winner will be crowned.
The winner of the competition qualifies for the next FIFA Club World Cup, although date and details for that competition are not yet known.
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Notably, no Major League Soccer club has ever won the competition under its current format. The last U.S.-based side to win the title was the LA Galaxy in 2000 when the tournament was known as the CONCACAF Champions Cup and featured just eight clubs.
Only two U.S.-based clubs have made the final since then, with Real Salt Lake (2011) and LAFC (2020) both losing out by a single goal. Canadian sides Montreal (2015) and Toronto FC (2018) also made it to the final and similarly fell short.
By contract, a Mexican club has won every single edition of the current Champions League format dating back to the 2008-09 tournament, and going back even further, a Liga MX side has hoisted 16 straight titles.
Who had the best finish in front of goal this week?
Catch every Goal of the Week from the first leg of the Round of 16 ? #SCCL22 pic.twitter.com/absFEMEENq
— Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League (@TheChampions) February 18, 2022
How to watch 2022 CONCACAF Champions League
- Dates: Feb. 16, 2022 to May 5, 2022
- TV channel: FS2 (USA), OneSoccer (Canada)
- Spanish-language TV: TUDN (USA)
- Streaming: fuboTV, Fox Sports Go
The CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 is available on television via FS2 in the United States (English), as well as on TUDN (Spanish). It is available via OneSoccer in Canada.
Fans can stream all those channels in the USA and Canada via fuboTV, which offers a free trial for new users. Fox Sports Go will also carry the matches in the USA.
A broadcast schedule for rounds beyond the Round of 16 has not been announced.
Teams in 2022 CONCACAF Champions League
A total of 16 teams qualified for the knockout tournament, all entering directly into the bracket.
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The United States and Mexico have automatic qualifiers based on domestic league standings finish and postseason results. The Canadian Championship winner also earns a ticket from Canada.
Other clubs from other nations must qualify via competitions, with the Caribbean Club Championship winner gaining entry, plus the top six finishers from the CONCACAF League.
MORE: How the CONCACAF 2022 Champions League draw unfolded
2022 CONCACAF Champions League bracket & schedule
The knockout draw was held on Dec. 15, 2021 and established the fixed bracket, beginning with the Round of 16. Teams from the same country could not be drawn against one another in the first round.
Unlike many continental championships, the final is contested as a two-legged matchup. This is a return to the usual format for the CONCACAF Champions League, after the last two tournaments were forced to utilize a single-match final due to extraordinary pandemic-related scheduling.
Round of 16 — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Santos de Guapiles 0, NYCFC 2 | Highlights |
| Tuesday, Feb. 15 | Santos Laguna 1, CF Montreal 0 | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 16 | Guastatoya 0, Leon 2 | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 16 | Saprissa 2, Pumas UNAM 2 | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 16 | Forge FC 0, Cruz Azul 1 | Highlights |
| Thursday, Feb. 17 | Motagua 0, Seattle Sounders 0 | Highlights |
| Thursday, Feb. 17 | Comunicaciones 1, Colorado Rapids 0 | Highlights |
| Friday, Feb. 18** | Cavaly 0, New England Revolution 3 | — |
**The two-leg series between Cavaly and the New England Revolution was cancelled due to visa difficulty for the Hatian club. Cavaly was forced to withdraw from the event, sending New England through via a 3-0 forfeit victory. The second leg was cancelled as a result.
Round of 16 — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, Feb. 22 | Leon 1, Guastatoya 0 (3-0 agg.) | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 23 | NYCFC 4, Santos de Guapiles 0 (6-0 agg.) | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 23 | CF Montreal 3, Santos Laguna 0 (3-1 agg.) | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 23 | Colorado Rapids 1, Comunicaciones 0 (3-4 PKs) | Highlights |
| Wednesday, Feb. 23 | Pumas UNAM 4, Saprissa 1 (6-3 agg.) | Highlights |
| Thursday, Feb. 24 | Seattle Sounders vs. Motagua | 10:45 p.m. |
| Thursday, Feb. 24 | Cruz Azul vs. Forge FC | 8:30 p.m. |
| Cancelled | New England Revolution vs. Cavaly | — |
Quarterfinals — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| March 8-10 | Motagua/Seattle vs. Leon | TBD |
| March 8-10 | NYCFC vs. Comunicaciones | TBD |
| March 8-10 | New England vs. Pumas UNAM | TBD |
| March 8-10 | Forge FC/Cruz Azul vs. CF Montreal | TBD |
Quarterfinals — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| March 15-17 | Leon vs. Motagua/Seattle | TBD |
| March 15-17 | Comunicaciones vs. NYCFC | TBD |
| March 15-17 | Pumas UNAM vs. New England | TBD |
| March 15-17 | CF Montreal vs. Forge FC/Cruz Azul | TBD |
According to the official tournament rules, the four teams left standing in the semifinals will be ranked based on their 2022 Champions League results, with three points assigned for every win and one point for every draw through the quarterfinals. If necessary, tiebreakers in this ranking process will be a.) Overall goal difference and then b.) Overall goals scored through the quarterfinals.
The highest-ranked team in each of the semifinal and final matchups, based on the aforementioned points system, will host the second leg of the semifinals and final.
Semifinals — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| April 5-7 | Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2 | TBD |
| April 5-7 | Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4 | TBD |
Semifinals — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| April 12-14 | Winner QF1 vs. Winner QF2 | TBD |
| April 12-14 | Winner QF3 vs. Winner QF4 | TBD |
Finals — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| April 26-28 | Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 | TBD |
Finals — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| May 3-5 | Winner SF1 vs. Winner SF2 | TBD |
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