Concacaf proposes Liga Panamericana with Conmebol, featuring 51 teams from five leagues

Concacaf, the governing body for soccer across North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, is reportedly pushing for a mega-league that would unite clubs from across the Western Hemisphere. The concept, dubbed Liga Panamericana, would feature 51 teams drawn from five different leagues, with South American confederation Conmebol as the preferred partner. What we know about the proposal The Liga Panamericana concept envisions pulling 51 clubs from five separate league structures across Concacaf and Conmebol territories. For context, the current Champions League features 36 teams in its league phase. Concacaf’s preference to include Conmebol signals a desire to elevate the competitive quality of clubs from MLS, Liga MX, and other regional leagues by pitting them against South American powerhouses. Teams from leagues in countries like Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and beyond would theoretically be mixed in with clubs from Mexico, the US, and smaller confederations. The proposal builds on an existing strategic partnership between the two confederations, which was formalized in 2023. That deal focused on joint tournament planning and cross-confederation participation, most notably ...