The 1997 CONCACAF Champions' Cup was the 33rd edition of the premier club football competition for North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, with teams split into three regional zones. This tournament marked a historic milestone as it was the first year Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs participated, with the 1996 MLS Cup winner and runner-up earning automatic berths. The final, held primarily in Washington, D.C., saw Cruz Azul capture their fifth Champions' Cup title with a dramatic 5–3 victory over the Los Angeles Galaxy. Notably, the match featured the unusual situation of Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos being contracted to both finalist clubs simultaneously. The Galaxy made history themselves as the first American club to ever reach the final of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, though they ultimately fell short of the title. The third-place match ended in a shared position, and the tournament concluded with the Central American zone's regional qualifiers (Comunicaciones, Luis Ángel Firpo, and Cartaginés) being eliminated during the final rounds.