San Diego FC’s historic Concacaf Champions Cup run continues as the Club advances to the Round of 16 to face back-to-back Liga MX champions Deportivo Toluca F.C. SDFC will host Toluca on Wednesday, March 11 at 8:30 PM in what promises to be a thrilling international showdown at Snapdragon Stadium.
After defeating Pumas UNAM, the Chrome and Azul secured their place in the next stage of the tournament to face one of Mexico’s most historic clubs. Toluca enters the competition in the Round of 16, setting the stage for the first-ever meeting between the two sides.
Established in 1917, Toluca began with a simple dream and went on to become one of the most historic clubs in Mexican football. In 1950, the amateur Club joined the second division, but it didn’t take long for Toluca, nicknamed the Los Diablos Rojos (The Red Devils) to join the first division.
In1953, Toluca made their first division debut cementing their mark in Liga MX, and the rest is history. The Club’s accolades are long, with 12 Liga MX titles, two Copa MX titles, four Campeón de Campeones, two-time Concacaf Champions Cup Champions, and one Campeones Cup. Most recently, Toluca became champions of the 2025-26 Apertura in a dramatic penalty shoot out against Tigres UANL.
Mexico’s best currently sits in second place on the table for the 2025-26 Clausura with 24 points. With ten matches under their belt, Toluca defeated Pumas UNAM 3-2 in an exciting midweek matchup on March 3, followed by a 3-1 victory against FC Juarez on Sunday, March 8.
Players to look out for are goalkeepers Hugo González and Luis Garcia, midfielder Marcel Ruiz, and forwards Paulinho and Alexis Vega. González joined Toluca in 2025, playing 16 matches as a starting goalkeeper for the Club with a 75.9% save percentage. The goalkeeper has 17 saves, three clean sheets, and three goals against in five starts. Garcia is the backup goalkeeper and contributed to the victory against FC Juarez, allowing only one goal beginning the season with three clean sheets.
Portuguese international, Paulinho is the top scorer with six goals and one assist for Toluca in Liga MX’s 2026 Clausura, totaling 18 goals and three assists for the 2025-26 season. The forward was recognized as the best player for the 2024-25 season, winning the Mexico Balon de Oro for Liga MX.
Alexis Vega returned to the pitch for Toluca against FC Juárez on Sunday after recovering from an injury suffered last season. The last time the Mexican international stepped on the pitch for Toluca was for the final of the 2025 Apertura, contributing four goals and nine assists.
Riding a strong start to the 2026 season, SDFC prepares to face Los Diablos Rojos for the first time ever at Snapdragon Stadium. The Club is currently undefeated 3-0 in the 2026 MLS regular season and looks to build on that momentum. SDFC opened the season with a 5-0 victory against CF Montréal on February 21, followed by a 2-0 win over St. Louis City on March 1. SDFC then earned their first road victory of the season with a 1-0 result against Sporting Kansas City. The Club has totaled 12 goals in five matches across both competitions and hasn’t allowed any goals in the 2026 campaign.
SDFC’s youngest players contributed four goals in the Club’s debut in the tournament, including Manu Duah, David Vazquez, Alex Mighten, and Luca Bombino. SDFC’s goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega also secured his first clean sheet in the Concacaf Champions Cup for Round One.
Forward Marcus Ingvartsen scored back-to-back goals at Snapdragon Stadium in the 2026 campaign. San Diego native and goalkeeper Duran Ferree made his first MLS start in the Home Opener, posting back-to-back clean sheets at home before adding his third in the Club’s road victory against Sporting Kansas City.
The 2025 Newcomer of the Year, Anders Dreyer scored the lone goal for SDFC against Sporting Kansas City after scoring his first goal of the season against St. Louis City. Dreyer has five contributions, including two goals and three assists in the 2026 MLS regular season.
With momentum on their side, the Club continues to prepare for both the tournament and regular season of play. All eyes are on the midweek matchup against Toluca FC. With depth across the squad and multiple goalkeeping options, both teams will be ready for anything in their first-ever meeting. Different goal scorers and different goalkeepers could play a role as the clubs prepare to face off at Snapdragon Stadium.
“It'll be a tough matchup. They have really good players across the entire team. They've got a lot of internationals that are also playing and so, we'll have to be very good. We'll have to be good in our home leg, to be able to hopefully take an advantage there,” said San Diego FC Sporting Director, Tyler Heaps. “Then we will have to suffer at times there, too, just because of the whole environment that we're going into.”
Don’t miss the historic Round of 16 matchup between SDFC and Toluca as the Club continues their Concacaf Champions Cup run. Purchase your tickets to witness yet another debut for SDFC. Let’s continue to support the squad in the stands. See you there!
