League’s Cup is back for the tournament’s fourth edition, and San Diego FC is one of the eighteen MLS teams competing in the inter-continental competition.
San Diego qualified for one of the spots in the Concacaf-sanctioned tournament after finishing its inaugural season at the top of the Western Conference. The top 9 MLS teams from both the Western and Eastern Conferences earned their spot in the tournament, where they will face off with 18 Liga MX teams.
“We're just hungry to compete in this tournament, which is, it's a great experience to play against top Liga MX teams,” head coach Mikey Varas said in the official matchday-minus-two media availability heading into the match versus Club América.
The tournament will take place in phases beginning on August 4, and it will conclude on September 6 with the Leagues Cup 2026 Final and Third-Place Match, where three 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup spots will be on the line. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bye to the Round of 16. Those qualification spots also create a pathway to the FIFA Club World Cup through winning Concacaf Champions Cup.
Phase one will feature 54 matches between the 36 competing teams. All matchups will feature MLS vs Liga MX opponents in this round, including 4 matches played in Mexico for the first time in Leagues Cup history at the three highest-ranked Liga MX clubs in Leagues Cup’s ranking system (Club Toluca, Tigres UANL, and Club América).
San Diego FC travels to Mexico City to take on Club América on Thursday, August 6 for a showdown in Estadio Banorte, historically known as Estadio Azteca.
“A huge honor to play in Azteca. A lot of historic moments have happened there. It's a historic club and a historic venue, and obviously, our focus is on competing as best as possible in this tournament. And ultimately, Mexico City always presents a challenge of altitude, but also playing against very strong Liga MX teams. And this is a third time we've done it this year. So, we're all looking forward to the challenge, and we're ready for it,” Varas said when asked about the challenge and opportunity of playing in this venue.
Through Concacaf Champions Cup, the Azul y Chrome have also competed in Estadio Olímpico Universitario vs Pumas UNAM and Nemesio Díez Stadium vs Toluca FC, making this SDFC’s third time playing in Mexico this season.
However, this will be the Club’s first time playing in the historical Mexico City venue. Estadio Banorte was inaugurated 60 years ago, and this summer, it became the only stadium in the world to host three World Cup tournaments. It currently has a capacity of over 87,000, making it the largest stadium in Latin America. Club América has called this stadium home since its inaugural game in 1966. This stadium also stands at over 7,200 ft above sea level, creating a high-altitude environment. While Nemesio Díez Stadium is the highest-altitude stadium in North America, the thinner air at Banorte Stadium still poses a challenge.
“We know how it's difficult to play in the altitude, but I think we are ready to compete,” Aníbal Godoy said in the official matchday minus two media availability heading into the match versus Club América. “We have to go there and try to play our game.”
“Of course, we're going to still take risks and pressing high on goal kicks,” Varas said on the game plan for another top matchup in altitude. “But it's important that our mid-block is compact and mature in our line of confrontation to make sure that game doesn't become too open in the altitude. And then it's really important that we test ourselves and show that we can be good on the ball, because the more we have the ball in this game and the more we're able to play our offensive game, the better chance we'll have.”
Phase One matchups were determined using the 2025 Supporters Shield standings and the 2025 Apertura and Clausura tournaments, with teams evenly split into two regions.
The top 4 teams from each region after Phase One will advance to the Quarterfinals, being held August 25-27. All Quarterfinal matches will also be between Liga MX and MLS opponents due to the new format. The Semifinals will take place September 1-2.
This is San Diego FC’s second-straight year competing in Leagues Cup, and while the rules are the same this year – the competition does look different than the MLS regular season and postseason, so here is a breakdown of what to expect.
Every match must have a winner, and matches will go straight to penalty kicks following regulation if the score is tied. Teams will receive 3 points for a regulation win, 2 points for a win in penalty kicks, 1 point for a team that loses in penalty kicks, and 0 points for a regulation loss. These points will be accumulated through the 3 Phase One matches. If Clubs are tied in points following Phase One, the tiebreakers will be a greater goal differential followed by wins in regulation. After Phase One, the tournament will move to a Knockout Round where matches will again be decided by penalty kicks if tied after regulation.
San Diego FC’s Leagues Cup 2026 Phase One Schedule
Match 1 - Club América vs. San Diego FC | 7:00 p.m. PT, Thursday, Aug. 6 | Estadio Banorte
Match 2 - San Diego FC vs. Club Tijuana | 7:00 p.m. PT, Sunday, Aug. 9 | Snapdragon Stadium
Match 3 - San Diego FC vs. Puebla FC | 7:15 p.m. PT, Wednesday, Aug. 12 | Snapdragon Stadium
Ticket Information
SDFC Season Ticket Members will have two SDFC Leagues Cup Phase One matches included in their plan. Information on single-match tickets and group tickets for both of SDFC’s matches at Snapdragon Stadium can be found at SanDiegoFC.com/leaguescup.
If you are not traveling to Mexico City for the match on August 6, San Diego FC is providing a free option to enjoy the action here in San Diego.
Join Us for the Leagues Cup FanZone!
San Diego FC is teaming up with Leagues Cup and Walmart to host a FREE FanZone & Watch Party on Thursday, August 6, as SDFC takes on Club América at Estadio Azteca.
Join fellow fans at Gallagher Square at Petco Park to catch all the action on the big screen, enjoy family-friendly activities, giveaways, and celebrate with the SDFC community.
The event is free and open to the public. Gates open at 5:30 PM - kickoff is set for 7 PM. RSVP here to reserve your spot!
