There may have been a return to MLS and Liga MX action in the middle of the tournament, but the Leagues Cup is still far from over, with eight teams set to take their best shot at the title.
Unlike past years, which have seen groups and a lengthy knockout stage, the Leagues Cup was streamlined in 2025. Each team played three teams from the other league, and competed against teams within their league in a single table.
From there, the top four MLS and Liga MX teams qualified, leading to the seeded, eight-team Leagues Cup knockout bracket, with quarterfinal matches set for Aug. 20.
As much as the trophy will carry significant weight to all clubs, the tournament also serves up three Concacaf Champions Cup spots for 2026, awarded to the two finalists and the winner of the third-place match.
Before things get underway in the quarterfinals, here’s how Sports Illustrated predicted the single-game knockouts to go.
Only 8️⃣ teams remain 💪
— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 8, 2025
The best 4 de MLS and los 4 mejores from Liga MX ⚽️💥
Solo uno levantará #LeaguesCup2025 🏆 pic.twitter.com/AnCrRsyCTf
Inter Miami vs. Tigres UANL
- Aug. 20 – 8:00 pm ET (Chase Stadium | Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Two giants in their respective leagues, there has never been a Leagues Cup match with as much weight to it as Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami taking on Angél Correa’s Tigres UANL.
While Miami had struggled against Liga MX competition in the past, they found a dominant path through Phase One, with wins over Atlas, Necaxa and Pumas, including the latter two without Messi, who played just 11 minutes in the Necaxa game.
At the same time, the Leagues Cup Phase One offered a first legitimate glimpse into the qualities Correa can bring to Tigres with his four goals already, as they move on from Andre-Pierre Gignac.
Not only does Correa come into this matchup as one of the newest marquee signings in North America, but he also gets an opportunity to battle against his longtime Atlético Madrid teammate, Rodrigo De Paul.
These are two of the best teams in their respective leagues, and this match will have a lot of eyeballs on it. Yet, Miami’s mission, and the likelihood for Messi to be fresh from a slight injury break, make the Herons the favorites to come out on top.
Prediction: Inter Miami 3–2 Tigres UANL
Toluca FC vs Orlando City SC
- Aug. 20 – 9:00 pm ET (Dignity Health Sports Park | Carson, CA)
Toluca CF will be the heavy favorites against Orlando City SC in their quarterfinal bout, coming into the matchup as the No. 1 seed from Liga MX’s Phase One table.
Heading into the matchup, Toluca also sits near the top in the Apertura so far, even though the season is still in its early stages. Yet, they’ve shown their quality against MLS opposition, with wins against Columbus Crew SC, CF Montreal and New York City FC in Phase One, while Paulinho also leads the Leagues Cup with four goals.
Now, they come up against an Orlando side that, while in good form, will likely see pushing for a solid MLS Cup Playoff spot as a priority. However, the Lions still have some strong components, with Martín Ojeda, Luis Muriel and Marco Pašalić back in form.
Any match at this stage in the competition will be close, but expect Toluca to advance to the semifinals.
Prediction: Toluca 2–0 Orlando City SC
Seattle Sounders FC vs. Club Puebla
- Aug. 20 – 11:00 pm ET (Lumen Field | Seattle, Wash.)
Seattle Sounders FC are hoping to carry their stellar form into the Leagues Cup knockout stages and will be heavily favored to advance against a Puebla side that has struggled in the Apertura so far.
Ever since the FIFA Club World Cup, things have been looking good for the Sounders. They’re thriving in MLS, and they won all three of their Leagues Cup matches, which included a 7–0 record-setting win against Concacaf Champions Cup winners, Cruz Azul.
With Pedro de la Vega in top form and aided by stellar play from Jesus Ferreira and Cristian Roldan, the Sounders should easily take care of Puebla. However, there will be a level of fightback from Emiliano Gómez and Los Camoteros, who won’t want to lose out on the opportunity Leagues Cup could offer amid a struggling league season.
Prediction: Seattle Sounders 4–1 Puebla
LA Galaxy vs. Pachuca
- Aug. 20 – 11:40 pm ET (Dignity Health Sports Park | Carson, CA)
The LA Galaxy have gotten exactly what they needed from Leagues Cup: A fresh start.
Currently sitting at the bottom of the MLS Western Conference and still struggling to find results after winning just one game in their first 20, the Galaxy picked up their form in Leagues Cup and qualified as the third best of the 18 MLS teams.
It came down to the final match for the Galaxy as well, and head coach Greg Vanney’s group didn’t shrink in the moment, putting up a dominant 4–0 win over Santos Laguna not only to qualify, but to surpass Orlando City SC in the MLS Leagues Cup table.
Already, Matheus Nascimento has surpassed his two goals in MLS play with three in Leagues Cup, and the final match against Santos Laguna showcased the elite moments that Mauricio Cuevas can provide.
Things will be tough against Pachuca, considering they’re a side only a few months removed from the FIFA Club World Cup and recently beat Houston Dynamo and San Diego FC in Phase One, but the Galaxy will be competitive.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Leagues Cup 2025 Quarterfinals Predictions: Matches, Dates, Key Battles.
