The 2026 Liigacup is the 23rd season of the Finnish League Cup, the primary pre-season football competition for clubs in the Veikkausliiga. Inter Turku entered the tournament as defending champions, having secured their third title by defeating KuPS in the 2025 final.[1]
The tournament features the 12 teams competing in the 2026 Veikkausliiga. The competition returned to a group stage format followed by a knockout round, with matches beginning on 16 January 2026.[2]
Format
The 2026 Liigacup features the 12 clubs from the 2026 Veikkausliiga, organized into two groups of six teams based on geographical location. The competition is played in a single round-robin format during the group stage, where each team plays five matches. The top two teams from Group A and Group B advance to the knockout semi-finals. The tournament concludes with a final match in March 2026 to determine the champion before the league season begins.[3][4]
Updated to match(es) played on 17 January 2026. Source: veikkausliiga.com Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) goals scored in head-to-head
First match(es) will be played: 24 January 2026. Source: veikkausliiga.com Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) head-to-head points; 5) head-to-head goal difference; 6) goals scored in head-to-head
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage. The semi-finals will be played in mid-March, with the final scheduled for late March 2026. In the knockout stage, if a match is level at the end of normal playing time, a penalty shoot-out is used to determine the winner (no extra time is played).[5]
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