The Union’s Leagues Cup group schedule is set

The games against Charlotte FC and Mexico's Cruz Azul will both be prime time kickoffs at Subaru Park. As with last year, Lionel Messi's Inter Miami wouldn't visit until the semifinals.

José Andrés Martínez (right) played Mexico's Querétaro and Tijuana in last year's Leagues Cup group stage.Read moreSteven M. Falk / Staff Photographer

by Jonathan Tannenwald

Published March 14, 2024, 1:33 p.m. ET

The Union now know when their group stage games in the Leages Cup will be, after the schedule was announced Thursday.

Both group games will be at Subaru Park. Charlotte FC will visit first on July 27 at 8 p.m., then Mexico’s Cruz Azul will visit on Aug. 4 at 8 p.m.

Should the Union advance, they’ll start the knockout rounds by playing a team from a group with Orlando City, CF Montréal, and Mexico’s Atlético San Luís.

As with last year, a tournament matchup of the Union and Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami wouldn’t happen until the semifinals. The two clubs are once again in opposite quarters of the bracket. And the odds might be lower this time, because Miami has Mexican powerhouse Tigres UANL in its group and Pachuca in its quarter.

Other notable teams in the Union’s quarter include FC Cincinnati, whom the Union would face if both teams win their groups and progress, plus Atlanta, New England, and Nashville.

The group stage overall will be played from July 26-Aug. 6. The knockout rounds start Aug. 7, leading up to the final on Aug. 25. The top three finishers will qualify for next year’s Concacaf Champions Cup.

The Union finished third in last year’s Leagues Cup, which is how they qualified for this year’s Concacaf tournament.

All 77 games of the tournament will be broadcast on Apple’s streaming platform, as usual. Some will also be televised on Fox and Univision channels, with those games still to be determined.