San Diego FC is set to compete against Pumas UNAM during the group stage of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup. This matchup will be the only clash between Liga MX and Major League Soccer in the first round of the tournament following the draw on Tuesday.
The current edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup will take place from February to May, with the victorious team earning a spot as one of the four regional representatives for the 2029 Club World Cup.
A total of 27 teams from North America, Central America, and the Caribbean will participate in this five-round tournament, culminating in a single-match final.
Major League Soccer has nine teams in the competition, including Seattle Sounders FC, Inter Miami CF, Philadelphia Union, FC Cincinnati, San Diego FC, Vancouver Whitecaps, LA Galaxy, Nashville SC, and LAFC.
Notably, both Seattle and Inter Miami will bypass the first round due to their recent successes in the Leagues Cup and MLS Cup, respectively.
If Nashville SC wins against Atletico Ottawa in the initial round, they will face Inter Miami. The two teams have recently faced each other four times in MLS, ending the 2025 regular season with a match-up before meeting again in the first round of the playoffs.
Representing Liga MX are Club América, Monterrey, Toluca, Cruz Azul, Tigres UANL, and Pumas UNAM.
Cruz Azul enters the tournament as the defending champions after their impressive 5-0 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 final.