VANCOUVER, BC – After a shootout victory over Toronto FC to capture the Voyageurs Cup as Canadian champions, Vancouver Whitecaps FC have qualified for the 2023 Concacaf Champions League.
This will mark the third time in club history that the ‘Caps play in the Champions League, after first qualifying for the 2015-16 edition, before making a run to the semifinals in the following 2016-17 tournament.
The Concacaf Champions League is the regional competition to crown the best club in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean – similar to the UEFA Champions League in Europe – sending the victor to the FIFA Club World Cup.
Teams that have already qualified for the 2023 Concacaf Champions League include:
Liga MX (Mexico)
- Atlas FC (2021 Apertura and 2022 Clausura champions)
- Tigres UANL (best ranked team on aggregate table)
- Club León (2021 Apertura runners-up)
- CF Pachuca (2022 Clausura runners-up
Caribbean (Haiti)
- Violette (2022 Concacaf Caribbean Club Championship champions)
Still to qualify for 2023 are the champions of the U.S. Open Cup, as well as three guaranteed teams from MLS including the winner of MLS Cup, the Supporters Shield, and the Eastern or Western Conference regular season champion who does not win the Supporters Shield. The final six qualifiers will emerge from the 2022 Concacaf League.
2023 will be the final year of the current format for the Concacaf Champions League, featuring 16 teams in a knockout format. Starting in 2024, a revised format will be introduced featuring 27 teams with additional qualifying pathways from the Leagues Cup (a tournament that will include every club from MLS and Liga MX), the Central American Cup, and the Caribbean Football Union Cup.
More information on the 2023 Concacaf Champions League will be made available in the coming months at whitecapsfc.com.
