COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The Colorado Rapids will begin the 2025 season in the Concacaf Champions Cup. The club earned a place in the prestigious regional tournament following a third-place finish in the 2024 edition of Leagues Cup.
Colorado’s run in Leagues Cup concluded Sunday with a comeback shootout victory over the Philadelphia Union at Subaru Park. Goals from Homegrown midfielder Oliver Larraz and winger Calvin Harris backed by yet another heroic performance from Zack Steffen lifted the club to a 3-1 win in the shootout following a 2-2 draw in regulation. With the win, the club earned its first Concacaf Champions Cup berth since the 2022 season and fifth overall.
The Rapids' history in the Concacaf tournament dates to 1998 when the club qualified as one of only two MLS teams, alongside D.C. United. Colorado was eliminated by Club León of Liga MX in the qualifying playoff round that year.
Following Colorado's MLS Cup win in 2010, the Rapids reached the group stage of the 2011-12 Concacaf Champions League competing against El Salvador's A.D. Isidro Metapán, Mexico's Santos Laguna, and Honduras' Real España. Colorado finished third in the group, while Santos and Metapán advanced to the Quarterfinals.
The Rapids qualified for the 2017-18 tournament as the MLS Supporters' Shield runners-up in 2016, advancing to the Round of 16 before being defeated 2-0 by Toronto FC.
In their most recent Concacaf appearance, which followed the 2021 season, the Rapids again reached the Round of 16 where they fell to Guatemalan side Comunicaciones in a penalty shootout.
In this year's Leagues Cup, the Rapids' journey made history as the first MLS side with four consecutive victories over Liga MX teams, including a penalty shootout win against Club América (9-8) in the quarterfinals and a 2-1 victory over Deportivo Toluca F.C. in the Round of 16.
The 2025 iteration of the Concacaf Champions Cup will see 27 clubs participate from across North America, Central America and the Carribean. The 60th edition of the tournament will be played between February and June of 2025. The Rapids will enter the tournament in round one and will learn their opponents for the two-legged fixture later this year.
