April 16 – The revamped Concacaf Champions Cup (formerly the Champions League) has reached the semi-finals stage with Mexican clubs again dominating the closing rounds of the confederation’s leading club competition.
Mexico’s CF Monterrey, CF Pachuca, and Club America are all through to the semi-finals along with 2023 MLS champions Columbus Crew.
The semi-finals, played over home and away legs, will take place on April 23 and 24 (first legs) and April 30 and May 1 (second legs) and will see Monterrey play Columbus Crew and Pachuca play Club America.
Columbus Crew reached their first Champions Cup semi-final after defeating Tigres UANL 4-3 on penalties, while Club America will make their eighth Champions Cup semi-final appearance following a 5-2 win at home over the New England Revolution (9-2 on aggregate).
CF Pachuca edged Costa Rica’s CS Herediano 2-1 at Estadio Hidalgo (7-1 on aggregate),while CF Monterrey beat Inter Miami CF 3-1 at Estadio BBVA (winning 5-2 on aggregate).
The winners of the Champions Cup will qualify for the expanded 2025 Club World Cup to held in the US next summer.
Concacaf have four berths at the 2025 CWC with the three previous Champions Cup winners – Club Leon (2023), Seattle Sounders FC (2022), and CF Monterrey (2021) – already securing their places.
If Monterrey win the 2024 edition then the fourth CWC slot will be decided FIFA’s new Confederation Club ranking system, though with a cap of two clubs per country, Mexican clubs would be excluded.
However, FIFA has made an exception to the two clubs per country rule for clubs winning the Champions Cup, and if Pachuca or Club America win the 2024 Champions Cup they will go through to the 2025 CWC.
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