MLS, Liga MX announce partnership, including cup match between league champs

Major League Soccer and Liga MX announced a new long-term partnership Tuesday designed to strengthen the relationship between the three nations - the U.S., Canada and Mexico - involved in the joint bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

As part of the North American alliance, Toronto FC will host the inaugural Campeones Cup in September, a match pitting the Major League Soccer champions against the Liga MX winners.

"Together, we have a vision to elevate the popularity of our game to even higher levels in North America," MLS commissioner Don Garber said.

Toronto FC's opponent Sept. 19 will be the winner of Liga MX's Campeon de Campeones tournament, which takes place in July.

The partners will also present an All-Star game featuring players from both leagues. However, Liga MX president Enrique Bonilla told Tom Marshall of ESPN FC that no announcement for the date of that match is imminent.

“For Mexican soccer, accepting the invitation to this project is a fantastic opportunity to meet our vital goals with a long-term vision," Bonilla said in a statement.

"First, it will allow us to grow closer to our fans in the United States and Canada, who are passionate about their Liga MX clubs. Second, it establishes a strategic alliance between the two leagues to exchange experiences and implement best practices throughout both organizations, which will organically assist the growth of soccer in the region."

North American soccer fans could get a preview of the Campeones Cup on Tuesday when MLS Cup winner Toronto FC visits Mexico to take on defending Liga MX champion Tigres UANL in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League. TFC opened the quarter-final encounter with a 2-1 victory at BMO Field.