MIAMI — The Columbus Crew will look to become the fourth MLS club to win the Concacaf Champions Cup when it visits five-time winners CF Pachuca on Saturday, June 1 at the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Hidalgo, Mexico.

The upcoming encounter marks the ninth occasion that an MLS and Liga MX club will meet to decide the region's champion. Only two times did an MLS team prevail in the other eight finals.  

Here is how every CCC final between MLS and Liga MX clubs occurred:

1997 – Cruz Azul 5-3 Los Angeles Galaxy

The first MLS vs. Liga MX encounter in a Champions Cup final happened in 1997 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington D.C. The LA Galaxy took an early two-goal lead with strikes from Eduardo Hurtado in the 8' and 14', but the MLS side would lose momentum with an injury to Mauricio Cienfuegos, making for an exit due to injury in the 21’. Cruz Azul earned their way back into the game with a penalty from Benjamin Galindo in the 30’, a tying goal from Johan Rodriguez in the 31’ and the leading goal in the 36’ by Hector Adomaitis.

Carlos Hermosillo extended the Mexican side's lead in the 62' and 66'. Jorge Campos scored for the Galaxy in the 78', but the comeback fell short as Cruz Azul won the final and its fifth title.

1998 – D.C. United 1-0 Toluca

D.C. United made history by becoming the first MLS side to win the Champions Cup in 1998 with a 1-0 win over Deportivo Toluca at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. A tight encounter was decided by a lone goal from U.S. men’s national team defender Eddie Pope in the 41’. Marco Etcheverry shined on the day as Bruce Arena’s team was victorious over Enrique Meza’s side.

2010/11 – CF Monterrey 3-2 Real Salt Lake

Real Salt Lake drew 1-1 in the first leg against CF Monterrey at the Estadio Tecnologico in Monterrey. Aldo de Nigris opened the scoring in the 18’, but Nat Borchers answered for the U.S. side in the 35’. Humberto Suazo converted from the penalty spot in the 63’ to retake the lead for the home side. Javier Morales would tie again for the visitors in the 89’ making for a dramatic finish and leaving all to play for in the second leg.

Rayados would prevail on the road in Sandy, Utah, as Suazo scored in the 45’ of the return leg. It would become the first of five Champions Cup titles for the Monterrey club over the next 10 years.

2014/15 – Club America 5-3 Montreal Impact

It would be four years before an MLS side returned to the final, and the first Canadian representative for the league was the Montreal Impact, now known as CF Montreal, against Mexican giants Club America. The first leg took place at the iconic Estadio Azteca, where the teams tied 1-1 due to goals from Ignacio Piatti in the 16’ and Oribe Peralta in the 88’.

With 61’004 spectators at Montreal’s Olympic Stadium for the second leg, the Canadian side took the lead in the 8’ with a goal from Andres Romero. Club America’s goalscorers took the lead in the second half with goals from Dario Benedetto in the 50', and Oribe Peralta in the 65'. Benedetto would complete his hat-trick in the 67', and 81'. Jack McInerney took one back in the 88’ as America went on to win its sixth Concacaf crown.

2018 – CD Guadalajara 3-3 Toronto FC (GDL won 4-2 on PKs)

Another Canadian side would meet a Mexican giant when Toronto FC and Guadalajara quarreled in the 2018 final. Rodolfo Pizarro and Alan Pulido helped the Liga MX side win the first leg 2-1 in Canada. Jonathan Osorio scored the lone goal for the Canadians as the MLS side would have to travel to Mexico down on aggregate.

To start the second leg, Chivas looked to be off to an early celebration as Orbelin Pineda scored in the 19’. The MLS side would rally back with goals from Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco, who would go on to win the tournament’s Golden Ball, and draw the series 3-3 on aggregate.

Penalties were needed to decide the champion. Guadalajara was four for four, while Toronto missed two kicks, giving the Mexican club its second CCC trophy. 

2020 – Tigres UANL 2-1 Los Angeles FC

Tigres UANL and LAFC faced off in a one-game final as the tournament was played in a neutral setting at Exploria Stadium in Orlando, Florida. A stalemate would be broken as Diego Rossi gave the U.S. side the lead in the 61’. Tigres would respond with a tying goal from Hugo Ayala in the 72’ and an Andre-Pierre Gignac winner in the 84’ for the Nuevo Leon club’s first Champions Cup conquest.

2022 – Seattle Sounders 5-2 Pumas UNAM

A drought of over two decades was ended when Seattle Sounders became the third MLS club to win the Champions Cup. The U.S. side left Mexico with a 2-2 draw in the first leg as Juan Dinenno’s first-half brace was offset by two penalty kicks from Nicolas Lodeiro in the 77’ and 90’+9.

Seattle would lean on its home crowd in the second leg to take a 3-0 victory at Lumen Field. Raul Ruidiaz scored twice in the second half, and Lodeiro would add his third of the series for a 5-3 aggregate win.

2023 – Club Leon 3-1 Los Angeles FC

The most recent MLS and Liga MX meeting came last year when Club Leon won 3-1 on aggregate over LAFC. William Tesillo and Angel Mena gave the Mexican club a two-goal lead in the first half of the opening leg, but Denis Bouanga cut the deficit in the 90’+6.

The second leg occurred in Los Angeles, but Leon won 1-0 to ensure its first Concacaf Champions Cup in its illustrious history. Lucas Di Yorio scored the lone goal of the return leg in the 20’.