The expansion problem

CONCACAF has officially decided that more is better for the 2026 Champions Cup. By ballooning the field to include more Central American clubs and Caribbean qualifiers, they are effectively diluting the product to satisfy regional politics rather than athletic merit. We saw this movie with the expanded World Cup and the bloated UEFA Champions League format, yet here we are again.

The current setup ignores the harsh reality of the regional gap. While MLS and Liga MX teams occupy the top tier of the tournament, the regional qualifiers often serve as little more than cannon fodder. When a team like Inter Miami or Club America rolls into a smaller stadium in the Caribbean, it is rarely a competitive affair. It is a one-sided drubbing disguised as a continental celebration.

The myth of the Cinderella run

There is a persistent narrative that these expanded spots give smaller clubs a path to glory. In reality, the format is designed to ensure the big money teams advance while providing just enough window dressing to keep the smaller federations quiet. We saw Alajuelense struggle to bridge the gap against the heavyweights last year, and the expanded field will only make that disparity more noticeable.

Realistically, the gap between the top of Liga MX and the bottom of the Caribbean qualifying pool is wider than the distance between the Premier League and the National League. Forcing this format down our throats doesn't grow the game; it exposes the lack of professional consistency in the smaller leagues. Watching a 6-0 scoreline in the opening leg of a Round of 32 tie does nothing for the prestige of the competition.

Quality over quantity

The 2026 edition needs to be about tightening the screws, not opening the floodgates. If CONCACAF leadership truly cared about the health of the game, they would focus on incentivizing investment in domestic league quality rather than giving out participation trophies. Instead, we are looking at a bloated bracket that stretches the calendar and makes the early rounds feel like preseason friendlies.

We have reached a point where the tournament feels like it lasts half the year. By the time the final rolls around, the momentum has vanished. The 2024 final between Pachuca and Columbus Crew was a great match, but it was lost in the noise of a bloated bracket that took months to reach its conclusion. Adding more teams from the Central American and Caribbean regions won't fix the pacing issues.

The scheduling nightmare

The physical toll on players is the elephant in the room. Between the 2026 World Cup windows and the absurd amount of travel required for these regional teams, the injury risk is astronomical. We are asking players to navigate long-haul flights and disparate pitch conditions for a competition that is becoming increasingly difficult to follow.

If the goal is to drive interest, they are failing. Die-hard fans want to see the best clubs in North America face off in high-stakes matches early. Dragging the competition out to accommodate teams that aren't ready for the leap is a disservice to the fans and the players. It is time to stop pretending that every expansion is an improvement.