Concacaf Champions Cup Away Goal Rule Explained

SI Soccer

·20 February 2025

Concacaf Champions Cup Away Goal Rule Explained

The Concacaf Champions Cup is underway as Major League Soccer teams like Inter Miami, FC Cincinnati, Seattle Sounders and Liga MX teams like Monterrey, Chivas and more compete for the trophy.

For fans new to the tournament, there's an important rule in effect that's been abolished in other club competitions like the Champions League: away goals.

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Here's how the away goals rule works and why goals scored on the road are even more important in the cup competition.

Concacaf Champions Cup Away Goal Rule Explained

The away goals rule inflates the value of goals scored by visiting teams in the competition. Teams play a home-and-away series totaling two legs. Series winners are determined by aggregate goals scored, but away goals come into effect here.

Away goals are used as a tiebreaker for aggregate scores. Here's an example of how away goals would work.

Let's use Inter Miami's opening series against Sporting Kansas City. Say Inter Miami win the first leg away at Children's Mercy Park 1-0. Then, in the return fixture in Florida, Sporting KC win the second leg 2-1. At the end of full time, the aggregate score would be 2-2.

Sporting KC would advance in this scenario considering their two goals came on the road and Inter Miami would be eliminated.

Is There Extra Time in the Concacaf Champions Cup?

There is no extra time in the competition. If the aggregate score is level after the full time of the second leg, and the away goals are equal, then both teams will play a penalty shootout.