The CONCACAF Champions Cup (known as the Champions League from 2008 to 2023) is an association football competition established in 1962 by CONCACAF. It is considered the most important international competition for North American clubs. Clubs qualify for the Champions Cup based on their performance in national leagues. The competition has been completed 58 times through the 2023 event, with 60 champions due to a three-way shared title in the 1978 competition.
| Founded | 1962 |
|---|---|
| Region | CONCACAF (North, Central America and Caribbean) |
| Number of teams | 16 (first round) 2 (finalists) |
| Current champions |  León(1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) | América (7 titles) |
 2023 final | |
For the first 30 years, the final was contested over two legs, one at each participating club's stadium. Mexican team Guadalajara won the inaugural competition in 1962, defeating Guatemalan CSD Comunicaciones 6–0 on aggregate. For the 1992 edition, Club América from Mexico defeated Alajuelense from Costa Rica in the first single-legged final held at a neutral venue, the City Stadium in Santa Ana, California. The format returned to a two-legged series from the 2003 edition, excepting for the shortened 2020 edition that was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fourteen finals have featured teams from the same national association: Mexico (1996, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019) and Costa Rica (2004). América holds the record for the most victories, having won the competition seven times since its inception. Only four teams, all Mexican, have been able to retain their titles. This includes Monterrey (2011, 2012, 2013), Pachuca (2007, 2008), Cruz Azul twice (1969, 1970, 1971 and 1996, 1997), and América (2015, 2016). Teams from Mexico have won the most titles, winning 37 of the tournament's 58 editions. Robinhood from Suriname hold the record for the most losses in the final, having been runners-up on five occasions (1972, 1976, 1977, 1982, and 1983).
The last champions before the competition was renamed to CONCACAF Champions League were Pachuca, who beat Saprissa 3–2 on aggregate in the 2008 finals. Since the rebranding and change of format to Champions League in 2008–09, only clubs from Liga MX and Major League Soccer have reached the final. Since 2005, every final has featured at least one Mexican club and from 2006 to 2021, every final had been won by a Mexican club. In 2022, Seattle Sounders FC became the first non-Mexican team to win the Champions League in 17 years when they defeated Mexican side UNAM in the final.
List of finals edit
| ‡ | Finals decided in a playoff |
| * | Finals decided by a penalty shoot-out |
| † | Match went to extra time |
| & | Finals decided on away goals |
- The "Season" column refers to the season the competition was held, and wikilinks to the article about that season.
- Finals are listed in the order they were played.
Performances edit
By club edit
†Title shared.
By nation edit
| Country | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico
|
38† | 20 |
 Costa Rica
|
6 | 5 |
 United States
|
3 | 4 |
 El Salvador
|
3 | 1 |
 Suriname
|
2 | 8 |
 Honduras
|
2 | 3 |
 Trinidad and Tobago
|
2† | 3 |
 Guatemala
|
2† | 3 |
 Haiti
|
2 | 0 |
 Cuba
|
0 | 2 |
 Netherlands Antilles
|
0 | 2 |
 Canada
|
0 | 2 |
†Including one title shared.
Notes edit
- ^ Difficulties in securing passports for Racing players in time for the September final in Guadalajara caused the match to be postponed three times. After Guadalajara protested to CONCACAF in February 1964, they were declared champions, but after a counter-protest, CONCACAF decided in April that both legs of the final should be played within two months. This forced Guadalajara to withdraw because they were on a tour of Europe at that time: therefore, the final was scratched, and Racing were declared champions.
- ^ The final was scratched and Toluca were declared champions after Aurora and Transvaal were ejected from the competition.
- ^ The semi-finals and final were scratched and Cruz Azul were declared champions after Saprissa and Transvaal withdrew.
- ^ The championship was to be decided by a final hexagonal, but Cruz Azul and Alajuelense finished level on points, meaning a playoff match was required.
- ^ The semi-finals and final were scratched and Transvaal were declared champions after Saprissa and Alajuelense withdrew.
- ^ The final triangular was scratched and Universidad de Guadalajara, Comunicaciones, and Defence Force were declared joint winners due to administrative problems and disagreement on match dates.
- ^ The championship was decided by a final triangular.
- ^ The final triangular was scratched and Violette were awarded the championship after CD Guadalajara and New York Pancyprian-Freedoms were both disqualified for failing to agree on match dates.
- ^ a b c The championship was decided by a final quadrangular.
- ^ Score was 2–2 aggregate after 90 minutes and extra time. Pachuca won the penalty shoot-out 7–6.
- ^ Score was 3–3 aggregate after 90 minutes. Guadalajara won the penalty shoot-out 4–2.