CONCACAF announced a new format for the Champions League to take effect for the 2017-18 edition of the competition.
Gone are the days of group stage matches for MLS teams, now the four American qualifiers will enter in a 16 team knockout tournament running from February to May. Joining them will be four Mexican teams, one Canadian team, the champions from each of Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Guatemala, and El Salvador, the Caribbean Club champions, and the winner of a new 16-team tournament that will run from August to October.
The entrants to the first phase of the tournament bring the total competitors in Champions League to 31 clubs, up from the 24 that currently compete.