Leagues Cup 2023: What happens in case of a tie in the group stage? The point system explained

Lionel Messi will make his Inter Miami debut in the competition and will hope to get off to a winning start against Cruz Azul.

It’s time for a new era of soccer in the United States, in more ways than one. Lionel Messi signing for Inter Miami has been tipped by many to be a watershed moment for Major League Soccer, while the rebranding of the Leagues Cup, in which all 29 MLS teams and 18 Liga MX clubs will take part, will go some way to finally gauging which league is the “strongest”.

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The two converge this coming Friday, as the former Barcelona star is expected to make his first appearance for the Herons in the Leagues Cup against Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium. The two teams have been draw in one of 15 three-teamn groups alongside Atlanta United, and with only two group matches played, getting off to a good start will be important, although two of the three clubs will progress to the knockout stages, which begin at the round of 32.

The format devised by Conacaf will see all match-ups played as one-off games, both in the group stage and in the knockouts. And there will be no ties in the first round. As is usually the case, teams will collect three points for a group stage win across 90 minutes and will go home empty-handed if they lose.

If teams are level at the end of regulation time, then the match will go straight to a penalty shootout (no extra time), with the winner collecting one extra point. That means two points for winning on penalties, and one for the spot-kick losers.

If two teams are tied on the same number of points at the end of the group stage, the result(s) between the clubs in question will be the first tie-breaker, following by goal