The 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup is heating up, and this year's tournament has already delivered some shocking moments. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami, fresh off their historic 2025 MLS Cup victory, were expected to make a deep run—but instead, they fell early, undone by their own league rivals.

For decades, Liga MX clubs have dominated this competition, winning all but one of the last 24 editions. The only MLS team to break that streak was the Seattle Sounders in 2022. This year, Inter Miami hoped to change the narrative, but Nashville SC ended those dreams in dramatic fashion. After a scoreless draw in Nashville, the Herons could only manage a 1-1 draw at home, losing on the away goals rule—a bitter pill for Messi and his teammates.

So how does the CONCACAF Champions Cup work? The tournament features 27 teams from across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean. Five seeded teams—the MLS Cup winner, Liga MX champion, Leagues Cup winner, Central American Cup winner, and Caribbean Cup winner—earn a bye straight to the Round of 16. The remaining 22 teams battle it out in Round One, with matchups determined by a pre-tournament draw based on CONCACAF rankings.

Every round before the final is a two-legged affair, with aggregate score deciding who advances. If the teams are tied after both legs, away goals serve as the first tiebreaker. Only if that fails do we see extra time and penalties. It's a format that rewards consistency and tactical discipline—something Inter Miami learned the hard way.

As the bracket unfolds, all eyes are on which club will claim the continental crown. Will a Liga MX powerhouse reassert its dominance, or can an MLS team rise to the occasion? One thing is certain: with Messi already out, the path to glory is wide open.