Cruz Azul just opened Leagues Cup with a win in Philadelphia, and the recent winners of the Campeón de Campeones also feature numerous dangerous attacking options and a midfield anchored by a starter for Mexico during the 2026 World Cup.
The Liga MX club based in Torreón enters its Leagues Cup opener against New York City FC with a new coach, a rebuilt backline, and a sputtering attack.
Toronto needs its Designated Player attackers, Josh Sargent and Djordje Mihailovic, to produce like DPs if they're going to snap their 11-match MLS winless streak.
A loan-to-buy deal for the 20-year-old Brazilian forward breaks from NYCFC's history of paying big money for U22 players, after the club spent $26.6 million combined on five past U22 additions with mixed results.
Robert Lewandowski is in, MLS Golden Boot leader Hugo Cuypers is out, but Chicago will need its defense to clean up the mistakes if they want to get a result at Yankee Stadium.
The Crew sold Diego Rossi and new summer reinforcements like defender Eric Bailly and forward Brais Méndez have yet to arrive, so Laurent Courtois will hope for his team to defend and control possession against NYCFC.
New York City FC's roster looked thin when MLS paused for the World Cup, but a big new signing, returning loanees, injury recoveries, and multiple other rumored transfer targets paint a promising picture for the season's second half.
Freese said his error leading to Belgium's third goal "stings more than probably any other moment in my life," but his solid track record for his country and at club level shouldn't be forgotten.
Both New York City FC players, O'Neill and debutant Kai Trewin alike, contributed for Australia in their penalty-kick loss to Egypt, but O'Neill consistently shined in the Socceroos' midfield throughout the World Cup.
An in-depth look at NYCFC's new Designated Player, including a retracing of Traoré's journey from Côte d'Ivoire to New York, and an analysis of how the pacey, prolific attacker will fit into Pascal Jansen's squad.
Los Canaleros had a rough, points-free debut on the world's stage in 2018, but their experienced squad and well-organized defense give them hope heading into a tough group with England, Croatia, and Ghana.
The four-time champions haven't been able to escape the group stage in back-to-back World Cups, and they'll hope a tantalizing front-four of attackers can guide them back to knockout-round success after years of disappointment.
Boasting two of the four starting center-backs from this year's UEFA Champions League final, Ecuador will look to prove their second-place finish in South American qualifying wasn't a fluke.
Brazil struggled in qualifying and enter this World Cup flying a bit under the radar, but with a trophy-winning specialist at the helm and a world-class center-back pairing, they have a path to claiming the trophy for a sixth time.
When they open their World Cup in New Jersey, France will need to see Kylian Mbappé click as a center-forward, and they'll hope coach Didier Deschamps can find the right tournament formula one last time in search of another world title.
The only team playing twice in New Jersey during the group stage, Senegal will try to shake off lingering feelings from January's controversial AFCON final and make noise in a group with France and Norway.
