Inter Miami, as winners of the MLS Cup, qualified directly for the round of 16. They were one of five teams to do so, alongside Toluca, Seattle Sounders, Alajuelense, and Mount Pleasant.
As such, Miami will have to wait until February to have the exact opponent, as they will meet the winner of the round one clash between Atletico Ottawa and Nashville SC.
It would not be the first time that Javier Mascherano's men would take on Nashville in the Champions Cup. The sides met in the 2024 season in the round of 16, where Miami prevailed 5-3 over two legs.
Ottawa qualified for the Champions Cup for the first time after winning the Canadian Premier League playoffs over Cavalry. They had just missed out on qualifying as regular season winners, finishing two points behind Forge, who will face Tigres in their first round tie.
There are a total of 27 teams in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, with teams qualifying from Canada, the US, and Mexico via their domestic league and/or cup, as well as the Leagues Cup - a competition by MLS and Liga MX teams. The Central American Cup and Caribbean Cup allows for teams from the respective regions to qualify as well.
MIami defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in Saturday's MLS Cup final, where both teams had already locked up a Champions Cup berth before the match. It was the first time The Herons lifted the playoff trophy.
The Whitecaps were drawn against Costa Rican outfit Cartagines, who progressed from a two-legged play-in tie in the Central American Cup.
Defending champions Cruz Azul will also enter at the opening round, facing another Canadian debutant in Vancouver FC. La Maquina defeated the Whitecaps 5-0 in the final back in June, winning the Champions Cup for the seventh time in their history.
The first round will take place in February, before March, April, and May will have the remaining rounds. The opening round, plus the round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals, are all played over two legs before the one-off final.
