As a key plank of its new men’s club competitions structure, Concacaf on Tuesday announced a rebranded flagship men’s club tournament – the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Beginning with the 2024 edition, the Concacaf Champions Cup will replace the Champions League as the premier men’s continental tournament, which crowns the club champion of the region and provides the qualification route to the new and expanded FIFA Club World Cup.

The new expanded tournament will include 27 clubs and 51 matches and will see the triumphant team walking away with US$5 million and a majestic trophy.

The Concacaf Champions Cup, which is part of a full rebrand with a vibrant and modern visual identity, is inspired by this tournament’s rich history. The brand essence is “epic battles for greatness”, which symbolises how difficult this competition is to qualify for, to compete in, and to win to be crowned Concacaf club champion.

“Since 1962, when the first iteration of this tournament was formed, 30 different clubs have won this title, which highlights how competitive it is and the great diversity of champions we have had in Concacaf,” Concacaf said in a widely circulated release.

“The original continental club competition in Concacaf had the same name and through its 61-year heritage (1962-2008: Concacaf Champions Cup; 2008-2023 Concacaf Champions League; 2024 onwards: Concacaf Champions Cup), there have been 30 different winners of this tournament, from Club Leon last Sunday, back through a list of major clubs from Central America, North America, and the Caribbean,” the release added.

Concacaf President Victor Montagliani said: “The Concacaf Champions Cup will take continental club football in our region to the next level. It will elevate leagues and clubs across Concacaf and the new name for the competition, alongside this vibrant new brand, allows us to celebrate our rich history while looking ahead to a great future of international club football in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

“The new Concacaf club ecosystem will deliver more of those big rivalry matchups that we know footballers want to play in and that fans want to see. Clubs across the region will have to be at their very best to compete to win the Concacaf Champions Cup and to earn the right to represent the region in the revamped and expanded FIFA Club World Cup which begins in 2025.”

The new structure also includes three Concacaf-sanctioned regional cup competitions that will help to further grow and elevate clubs and leagues in the sub-continental grouping.

“These include a new Concacaf Caribbean Cup that will crown a Caribbean champion, a new Concacaf Central American Cup that will crown a Central American champion, and the expanded Leagues Cup between MLS and Liga MX clubs. All three regional cups will have direct qualification berths into the new Concacaf Champions Cup,” Concacaf said.

The top clubs in North America will continue to have the opportunity to qualify through domestic leagues (Liga MX, MLS, CPL) and cup competitions (US Open Cup, Canadian Championship).