Inter Miami opens Leagues Cup Aug. 5

Inter Miami opened Leagues Cup play on Wednesday night in a tournament that gives clubs less margin for error than in past editions. The MLS club hosted Atlético de San Luis at Nu Stadium in Miami in its first Phase One match, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Inter Miami said the Aug. 5 match marked the start of its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign. The broader tournament began on Aug. 4 and runs through Sept. 6, according to Leagues Cup organizers. ### Why does this opener matter more than a normal first game? Leagues Cup 2026 uses a league-table format in Phase One instead of a traditional group stage. MLSsoccer said only the top four clubs from the MLS table and the top four clubs from the Liga MX table advance to the quarterfinals. That means teams are not just playing for points inside a small group; they are competing against the rest of their own league’s entrants for one of four spots. (intermiamicf.com) The tournament has 36 clubs in all — 18 MLS teams and all 18 Liga MX teams. Leagues Cup said every Phase One match is an MLS-vs.-Liga MX matchup, and the same interleague structure extends into the quarterfinals. ### Who is Inter Miami playing, and where? (mlssoccer.com) Inter Miami’s opponent on Aug. 5 was Atlético de San Luis of Liga MX. The club’s match preview said the game was Inter Miami’s first Phase One fixture and was set for Nu Stadium, with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET. Inter Miami’s match page also listed the venue in Miami and identified Said Martínez as the referee. (leaguescup.com) Inter Miami’s preview framed the night as the club’s entry point into the fourth edition of the Concacaf-sanctioned tournament. Leagues Cup’s official materials describe the competition as an annual event between MLS and Liga MX clubs. ### How do teams actually move on from Phase One? (intermiamicf.com) MLSsoccer said the top four teams in each league-specific table advance to the quarterfinals. The same guide said the first tiebreaker in Phase One is goal differential, followed by wins in regulation, goals scored and goals conceded. That setup makes scorelines matter beyond the result itself. A team that wins its opener still has to measure up against other clubs from its own league on tiebreakers, not just against the opponent it faced that night. That is an inference from the published format and tiebreaker rules. (mlssoccer.com) ### How big is this year’s competition? Leagues Cup said the 2026 edition runs from Aug. 4 through Sept. 6 and includes 54 Phase One matches. Organizers also said the tournament will award three places in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, with the champion receiving a direct berth to the round of 16. (mlssoccer.com) The official Leagues Cup site describes 2026 as the tournament’s fourth year. Inter Miami entered as one of the qualified MLS clubs in a field that includes all Liga MX teams. ### What comes next after Inter Miami’s first match? Leagues Cup organizers said Phase One began on Aug. 4 and the tournament ends with the final on Sept. 6. (leaguescup.com) MLSsoccer’s tournament guide said the top four clubs from each league table move into the quarterfinals once Phase One is complete. (leaguescup.com) For Inter Miami, the immediate next step is the rest of its Phase One schedule, with advancement determined by its standing against other MLS entrants rather than by a separate group. The live tournament bracket and scores are being updated on MLSsoccer and the official Leagues Cup site. (es.mlssoccer.com) (leaguescup.com)