Concacaf Champions Cup Power Rankings: Which Clubs Are Favorites to Win? | OneFootball

The Concacaf Champions Cup has seen many iterations of the tournament but has always been dominated by teams in Mexico’s Liga MX.

MLS sides Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy have found triumphs in different iterations of the competition, and several others, including Canada’s Toronto FC and CF Montréal, have made runs to the final.

Unlike the UEFA Champions League’s past or current era, the Champions Cup does not include a group or league stage. Instead, it goes right into a bracket, with some top teams not joining until the Round of 16.

With first legs in the Round of 16 mostly underway, which teams are poised to make a run?

Sports Illustrated looks at each remaining team's likelihood of winning the tournament.

Concacaf Champions League Power Rankings: Mid-Round of 16

16. Cavalier FC - Jamaica (Round of 16 vs. Inter Miami CF)

Jamaica’s Cavalier FC qualified for the tournament for the second consecutive year. They are the reigning Jamaican Premier League and Caribbean Cup champions. By winning the Caribbean Cup, they were pre-seeded into the Round of 16, but they will have a tough time getting past Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami CF.

15. Columbus Crew - MLS (Round of 16 vs. LAFC)

Qualifying for the tournament as Leagues Cup champions, Columbus Crew SC came in with high hopes of another deep run after making the 2024 Final, losing to Pachuca. Despite a strong start in MLS, they fell 3–0 to LAFC in Leg 1 of the Round of 16 and are unlikely to mount a comeback.

14. Alajuelense - Costa Rica (Round of 16 vs. Pumas)

Central American Cup winners Alajuelense have been one of Costa Rica’s top clubs and have won two Concacaf Champions Cup tournaments. A pre-seeded team, they fell 2–0 to Liga MX’s Pumas in the first leg and are unlikely to flip things in the return leg on their home pitch.

13. LA Galaxy - MLS (Round of 16 vs. Herediano)

The reigning MLS Cup champions have had a poor start to the season. In the first leg, they lost 1–0 to C.S. Herediano in Costa Rica. Despite being ahead, the LA Galaxy have struggled without Riqui Puig and Joseph Paintsil and have failed to score an away goal.

12. C.S. Herediano - Costa Rica (Round of 16 v LA Galaxy)

Despite beating the LA Galaxy in the first leg and Real Salt Lake in the first round, Herediano lacks the elite talent to compete much longer. If they get past LA, they’ll face Liga MX giants Tigres or elite MLS side FC Cincinnati.

11. Cruz Azul - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs. Seattle Sounders)

Cruz Azul and Seattle Sounders FC played to a scoreless draw in the first leg of their Round of 16 Concacaf Champions Cup tie. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Despite topping the Liga MX Apertura table, Cruz Azul has struggled in the Clausura, sitting sixth after 10 games. They drew Seattle Sounders FC 0–0 in the first leg of the Round of 16 and are just a goal-filled draw away from losing to the Sounders in Leg 2 in Mexico.

10. Seattle Sounders FC - MLS (Round of 16 vs. Cruz Azul)

Seattle Sounders FC has already booked a spot in the inaugural 32-team FIFA World Cup USA 2025, but they have a tough road to the Champions Cup if they hope to win it. If they get past Cruz Azul, they will face one of Club América or Chivas Guadalajara.

With attention on the league and still trying to find an identity with Jesus Ferreira and Jordan Morris up top, it may be too far to think they can go a few more rounds.

9. Pumas - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs. Alajuelense)

Pumas UNAM have had a reasonably simple Champions Cup so far, despite a first-leg, first-round scare, losing 2-1 to Canadian Premier League champions Cavalry FC. They easily handled Alajuelense in their first Round of 16 leg and should advance. If they do, they’d either face CF Monterrey, who haven’t been in great form but recently added Sergio Ramos, or the upstart Vancouver Whitecaps, who are one of five MLS teams with a perfect record.

8. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - Canada/MLS (Round of 16 vs. CF Monterrey)

Vancouver Whitecaps FC had a rotated squad and found a 1–1 draw at home against CF Monterrey in the first leg. / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Vancouver Whitecaps FC have enjoyed a new possession-based style under new head coach Jesper Sørensen and earned a 1-1 draw at home against Monterrey with a rotated lineup. They have a chance against Monterrey away and could beat Pumas, but the club has stated their MLS goals and does not seem to prioritize a lengthy run in the continental competition.

If it happens with a rotated lineup, nobody in Vancouver would complain.

7. Club América - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs. Chivas Guadalajara)

Mexican giants Club América have a rich history in the Champions Cup and qualified by winning the 2023-24 Clausura and Apertura. They’ve also been in top form in Liga MX, just three points behind Club Léon for the top spot.

Yet, their bitter rivals, Chivas Guadalajara, kept them off the scoresheet in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie. Still, they were the better team and had their chances through most of the match, so their second leg and life in the competition comes down to finishing from Alejandro Zendejas, Henry Martín and others.

6. Chivas Guadalajara - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs. Club América)

Chivas defeated América at home for the first time since 2020 in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup. / Chivas on X

Despite being outshot 17-2 in the first leg against Club América and struggling in Liga MX, Chivas has a strong chance in the second leg, leading 1–0 after the first. They’ve not gotten the best form from Cade Cowell, Alan Pulido, or others recently, and they will need it in the second leg.

Should they advance, they will prove they can beat more top teams in a stressful environment. However, in the next round, they’d still face the challenge of Liga MX foes Cruz Azul or Seattle Sounders.

They can see the quarterfinal, and should they get there, it might be easier than the Round of 16.

5.  FC Cincinnati - MLS (Round of 16 vs Tigres)

Led by the attacking trio of Pavel Bucha, Kévin Denkey and Evander, FC Cincinnati have shown flashes of the team they can be in MLS and continental competition. In the first leg, they battled Tigres to a 1–1 draw at home, but that away goal could come back to bite them, especially given Tigres’ advantage as a home side in Monterrey.

A quarterfinal would likely be simple against LA Galaxy or Herediano, but getting past one of Seattle, Cruz Azul, Chivas Guadelajara, or Club América would prove challenging.

4. CF Monterrey - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC)

The path for Monterrey isn’t easy, but it’s not massively tricky, either. With a rotated team, they left Vancouver with an away goal in a 1–1 draw and will have the slight advantage, and likely Sergio Ramos in the second leg.

With a less rotated team, they should be able to handle the Whitecaps, despite having to host their “home” leg at rivals Santos Laguna’s stadium due to a Shakira concert at their usual venue.

Advancing would see them against equally struggling Liga MX side Pumas, before a clash with one of likely LAFC or Inter Miami CF.

3. LAFC - MLS (Round of 16 vs. Columbus Crew SC)

Since joining MLS, LAFC has established itself as an elite attacking side. This year, they’ve been near perfect,  keeping four consecutive clean sheets in all competitions and thrashing Columbus Crew SC in the home leg of their Round of 16 tie.

Given their defensive record, LAFC has shown that they just need one moment to win a game. That should benefit them even in two-leg tournament soccer, even if they clash with Messi and Miami in the quarterfinal.

2. Inter Miami CF - MLS (Round of 16 vs. Cavalier FC)

Inter Miami CF's Concacaf Champions Cup journey began in freezing temperatures against Sporting Kansas City. / William Purnell-Imagn Images

There are clearly two targets for Inter Miami CF this season: MLS Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup.

While Lionel Messi and friends will play in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer and hope to defend their MLS regular season Supporters’ Shield title, getting two of the most important trophies in the region remains the goal.

They’ve also looked elite, swiftly passing Sporting Kansas City in the first round, posting a 10-man 2–2 draw with New York City FC in their MLS opener, and beating Houston Dynamo without their Argentine No. 10.

Jamaica’s Cavalier FC won’t stand much of a chance, and few players are more clinical than Messi and Luis Suárez when they have a massive goal.

1. Tigres - Liga MX (Round of 16 vs FC Cincinnati)

Despite Guido Pizarro going from a player to a manager within 48 hours, Tigres remain the team to beat in the Concacaf Champions Cup this season. They’ve got the away goal from the first leg against FC Cincinnati and will only improve as morale lifts under Pizarro’s tutelage after Veljko Paunović left the club.

They sit third in Liga MX Clausura after 10 games and would have a reasonably straightforward job against LA Galaxy or Herediano in the quarterfinals while holding every chance at beating every remaining team in the competition.

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