The 2020–21 CONCACAF SuperLiga qualifying phase and play-off round began on 17 August and ended on 22 August 2020.
A total of 23 teams competed in the qualifying system of the 2020–21 SuperLiga, which includes the qualifying phase and the play-off round. The ten winners in the play-off round (fivefrom Champions Path, five from League Path) advance to the group stage, to join the 22 teams that enter in the group stage.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, all qualification matches were held on a neutral site to create a "bubble" to minimize contamination of SARS-CoV-2. All qualification matches, for the 2020–21 edition only, were moved to Toyota Stadium, Dr. Pink Field, and the stadium complex around Toyota Stadium near Dallas, Texas, United States.
Play-off round (6 teams): 6 losers of the Champions League third qualifying round. For this edition only, one team is transferred by a random draw to the Main Path.
Below are the participating teams of the Champions Path (with their 2020 UEFA club coefficients), grouped by their starting rounds.
In a change to the format as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, each tie will be played as a single-match held at a neutral location, and will be played behind closed doors. If scores are level at the end of normal time, extra time is played, followed by a penalty shoot-out if the scores remain tied.
In each draw of the Champions Path, teams (whose identity may not be known at the time of the draws) are divided into seeded and unseeded pots, which may contain different numbers of teams, based on the following principles:
In the third qualifying round draw, five losers of the Champions League second qualifying round are seeded and five losers of the second qualifying round are unseeded based on coefficients.
In the play-off round draw, the six losers of the Champions League third qualifying round are seeded; the five winners of the third qualifying round are unseeded. One team joins the Main Path on a random draw.
In the beginning of the draws, a seeded team is drawn against an unseeded team until one of the pots is empty. Afterwards, the remaining teams from the non-empty pot are drawn against each other. For each tie, a draw is made between the two teams, and the first team drawn is the home team.
In each draw of the Main Path, teams are seeded based on their 2020 CONCACAF club coefficients. For any team whose club coefficients are not final at the time of a draw, their club coefficients at that time, taking into account of all 2019–20 CONCACAF Champions League and SuperLiga matches played up to that point, are used (Regulations Article 13.03). Teams are divided into seeded and unseeded pots containing the same number of teams, and a seeded team is drawn against an unseeded team. For each tie, a draw is made between the two teams, and the first team drawn is the home team. If the identity of the winners of the previous round is not known at the time of the draws, the seeding is carried out under the assumption that the team with the higher coefficient of an undecided tie advances to this round, which means if the team with the lower coefficient is to advance, it simply takes the seeding of its opponent. Teams from the same association or associations with political conflicts as decided by CONCACAF may not be drawn into the same tie. Prior to the draws, CONCACAF may form "groups" in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and based on geographical, logistical and political reasons, and they are purely for convenience of the draw and do not resemble any real groupings in the sense of the competition.
Prior to each draw, CONCACAF will publish the list of known travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. All teams must inform CONCACAF if there are other existing restrictions other than those published. If a team fails to do so which as a consequence the match cannot take place, the team is considered responsible and to have forfeited the match.
If travel restrictions imposed by the home team's country prevent the away team from entering, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise they are considered to have forfeited the match.
If travel restrictions imposed by the away team's country prevent the away team from leaving or returning, the home team must propose an alternative venue that allows the match to take place without any restrictions. Otherwise CONCACAF will decide on a venue.
If after the draw, new restrictions imposed by either the home team's or away team's country prevent the match from taking place, the team of that country are considered to have forfeited the match.
If either team refuses to play the match, they are considered to have forfeited the match. If both teams refuse to play or are responsible for a match not taking place, both teams are disqualified.
If a team has players and/or officials tested positive for SARS-2 coronavirus preventing them from playing the match before the deadline set by CONCACAF, they are considered to have forfeited the match.
The schedule of the competition is as follows (all draws are held at the CONCACAF headquarters in New York City, United States, unless stated otherwise). The tournament would originally have started in 6 August 2020, but had been delayed to 17 August 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America. The new schedule was announced by the CONCACAF Executive Committee on 17 June 2020.
Round
Draw date
Match date
Third qualifying round
14 August 2020
17 August 2020
Play-off round
19 August 2020
The original schedule of the competition, as planned before the pandemic, was as follows (all draws held at the CONCACAF headquarters in New York City, United States, unless stated otherwise).
Seeding of teams in the Champions Path is based on the round they are eliminated from the Champions League. Seeding of teams in the Main Path is based on their 2020 CONCACAF club coefficients. For the winners of the second qualifying round (whose identity is not known at the time of draw), the club coefficient of the highest-ranked remaining team in each tie is used. The first team drawn in each tie will be the home team. Teams from the same association cannot be drawn against each other.
A ^ : The play-off round match between W Connection and San Pedro Pirates, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 23 August 2020 due to several members from San Pedro Pirates' delegation testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. On 23 August, the match could not be played due to nine players from San Pedro Pirates testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole second team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. W Connection were subsequently awarded a technical 3–0 victory by CONCACAF according to the regulations related to COVID-19.
B ^ : The play-off round match between Sanarate and UNAM, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 24 August 2020 due to several members from UNAM's delegation testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. On 24 August, the match could not be played due to eleven players from UNAM testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole second team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. Sanarate were subsequently awarded a technical 3–0 victory by CONCACAF according to the regulations related to COVID-19.
^The play-off round match between Cibao and BDF, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 23 August 2020 due to several members from Cibao's delegation testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. Cibao was cleared on 22 August 2020.
^The play-off round match between Dem Amstel v Diriangén, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 20 August 2020 due to inclement weather.
^The play-off round match between W Connection and San Pedro Pirates, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 23 August 2020 due to several members from San Pedro Pirates' delegation testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. On 23 August, the match could not be played due to nine players from San Pedro Pirates testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole second team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. W Connection were subsequently awarded a technical 3–0 victory by CONCACAF according to the regulations related to COVID-19.
^The play-off round match between Sanarate and UNAM, originally scheduled to be played on 19 August 2020, was postponed to 24 August 2020 due to several members from UNAM's delegation testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. On 24 August, the match could not be played due to eleven players from UNAM testing positive for SARS-2 coronavirus and the whole second team being put into quarantine by the American authorities. Sanarate were subsequently awarded a technical 3–0 victory by CONCACAF according to the regulations related to COVID-19.
Flames United
Port City
Platinum
Islanders
Real Rincon
Western Tigers
Don Bosco
98'
Portmore United
San Pedro Pirates
Diriangén
