The Columbus Crew returns to Concacaf Champions Cup for a second consecutive year after clinching the 2024 Leagues Cup 3-1 over LAFC. After a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Pachuca in last year’s final, the Black & Gold are looking to make another run at clinching their first CCC title, hoping to earn a berth for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

The Draw

27 teams across the Concacaf region will participate in a direct elimination, knockout stage format through five rounds. The first four rounds all include a home and away leg, with the highest seed hosting the second leg, with the final being a single elimination.

The 27 qualified clubs have three regional cups in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean along with domestic cups in Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Out of the 27 teams, 22 start in round one. 11 clubs will advance to the Round of 16 to face off against the five pre-seeded Clubs from Liga MX, MLS, and the three regional champions.

Results

Columbus, LA Galaxy, Club America, Alajualense, and Cavalier all earned automatic qualification into the Round of 16. The highest-ranked clubs in Concacaf were placed in Pot 1, while the remaining ranked teams were placed in Pot 2. All teams in Pot 1 were then drawn to a spot in the bracket through Pot A, with Pot 2 being drawn from Pot B determining the matchups. Here are the final results:

The Columbus Crew will face the winner of LAFC and Colorado Rapids over their two leg series, with Columbus hosting the return leg in the Round of 16.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The journey to the 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup has officially begun. 🙌⚽<br><br>Who will be crowned champion? 🏆 <a href="https://t.co/90snnqn6g7">pic.twitter.com/90snnqn6g7</a></p>&mdash; Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheChampions/status/1866646481190654102?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2024</a></blockquote> https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Recent tournament

The Crew had a not-so-easy path to the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup Final.

The Black & Gold defeated the Houston Dynamo over two legs by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline, with Alex Matan and Cucho Hernandez scoring in the series.

Columbus then went on to face Tigres UANL, earning a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Tigres carried the away goal advantage, with Columbus missing Aidan Morris in the second leg after receiving a red card in the first leg. Columbus would advance through a penalty kick shootout, seeing Patrick Schulte stopping the first two shots and Max Arfsten scoring the match-winner.

The Crew would face a strong Monterrey side, who earned a spot in the semifinals after knocking out Inter Miami the round prior. Hernandez and Jacen Russell-Rowe were the two goalscorers in the 2-1 win over Monterrey at home before the Club traveled down to Mexico for the second leg. The match started not pretty for Columbus as they gave up an early goal, but it was Aidan Morris who regained control for the Crew just before halftime to level the match 1-1. Diego Rossi and Russell-Rowe put the game on ice in the second half, giving Columbus a 5-2 aggregate win over Monterrey booking their spot in the 2024 Final against Pachuca.

The 2025 edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup kicks off February 4, with the Round of 16 matchups beginning March 4.