Cascadia Cup | A quick primer on the historic, three-team competition between Portland, Vancouver and Seattle

Saturday's Timbers-Whitecaps match marks the first of the Cup competition in 2026

Saturday's match between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7:30pm PT, TICKETS, Apple TV) marks the first match in the Cascadia Cup – an historic, three-team competition between Portland, Vancouver and Seattle Sounders FC.

Here's how it works.

What is the Cascadia Cup?

Conceived by the supporters groups of Portland, Vancouver and Seattle, the Cascadia Cup was first contested in 2004 as a Pacific Northwest rivalry competition with regular-season matches contributing to a three-team table. The trophy itself is awarded to the winning team's supporters group.

This season, each team plays the other two twice with total points (3pts for a win, 1pt for a draw, 0pts for a loss) earned through those matches determining the winner.

Now in its 22nd year, the competition's history spans two levels of the North American soccer landscape with it being active during the three clubs' United Soccer League and Major League Soccer eras. After Seattle entered MLS in 2009, Vancouver and Portland continued the competition while still in the USL until both teams joined MLS in 2011, returning it to a three-club rivalry.

Timbers History in the Cup

The Timbers last captured the trophy in 2024, marking Portland's fourth title in the club’s MLS history (2024, 2022, 2017, 2012) and sixth across all eras (2009 and 2010 in USL).