Check out FC Cincinnati's opponents in group stage of 2024 Leagues Cup
The latest indicator of the fast-approaching FC Cincinnati season arrived Wednesday as the club learned its opponents for the group stage of the upcoming summer's Leagues Cup.
Leagues Cup, which encompasses all of MLS and Liga MX, the first division of soccer in Mexico, will see New York City FC (MLS) and Club Querétaro (Liga MX) visit TQL Stadium. FC Cincinnati earned the right to host group stage games, as well as some subsequent knockout round games, through its 2023 Supporters' Shield winning campaign.
Leagues Cup is a World Cup-style tournament to crown a champion among MLS and Liga MX clubs. Three CONCACAF Champions Cup spots are awarded, too. In 2023, MLS sides Inter Miami CF, Nashville SC and Philadelphia Union claimed the championship, runner-up and third-place positions, respectively.
The 2024 iteration of Leagues Cup will be the second year in a row of the competition in its current format.
What to know about NYCFC, Club Querétaro
NYCFC is coming off an 11th-place finish in the 2023 season, although it will have ample time to improve its Leagues Cup outlook as the tournament doesn't begin until July 26.
Querétaro is winless in four matches to begin the current phase of the Liga MX season. The club went 4-8-5 during the preceding 17-match phase, which was good enough for a 10th-place finish out of 18 clubs.
Both of FC Cincinnati's group stage opponents in 2024 managed to escape their respective groups in 2023. As of today, FCC will still be favored to top the group.
2024 Leagues Cup format
The 2024 Leagues Cup will largely look the same as the 2023 edition. Ties after 90 minutes will be settled by penalty kicks, with an additional point awarded to the winner.
One noticeable and equitable alteration to the competition is that the top-ranked Mexican clubs will have their travel reduced by being awarded hub sites for their "home" matches played on U.S. soil. Club America (league champion with a bye) will have hosting privileges through the semifinals, former FC Cincinnati star Brandon Vazquez's C.F. Monterrey (overall No. 1 rank in the field) can host through the Round of 16, FCC 2023 group-stage opponent Chivas Guadalajara (No. 4 rank) through the Round of 32, and Tigres (No. 6 rank) throughout the Group Stage, rewarding the clubs according to their 2023 Apertura and Clausura performances.
The hub sites will be announced at a later date, according to a Wednesday news release.
The competition's groups were also split geographically for 2024. Seven groups make up the east side of the tournament while the west is made up of eight groups. FC Cincinnati is in group "East One."
FC Cincinnati remains in Clearwater, Florida for preseason and has three scrimmages left prior to kicking off the competitive portion of its schedule in CONCACAF Champions Cup play in Jamaica on Feb. 22.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Leagues Cup schedule: FC Cincinnati group revealed
