LOS ANGELES -- The 2026 Leagues Cup will kick off Aug. 4, returning the MLS-Liga MX rivalry to center stage during a summer expected to ride the wave of soccer’s growing popularity in North America.
Tournament organizers released the official schedule Thursday morning, confirming LAFC’s opening path in the competition. The Black & Gold will host three Liga MX opponents at BMO Stadium during Phase One of the monthlong tournament.
The fourth edition of Leagues Cup will run from Aug. 4 through Sept. 6 and feature 36 teams — all 18 Liga MX clubs and 18 qualifying MLS sides. The opening stage includes 54 matches, each one pitting an MLS club against a Liga MX opponent. This year’s tournament will also introduce matches played in Mexico for the first time, with the highest-ranked Liga MX clubs hosting select fixtures.
Beyond regional bragging rights, Leagues Cup also carries significant international implications. The top three finishers will qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup, with the champion earning a direct berth into the Round of 16.
LAFC Leagues Cup Phase One schedule
Aug. 5 — Chivas de Guadalajara
Aug. 8 — Toluca FC
Aug. 12 — Querétaro FC
The opener against Chivas could mark star forward Son Heung-Min’s first appearance in the competition. The South Korean international headlines a potent LAFC attack alongside Denis Bouanga, the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 13 goals in 12 Leagues Cup appearances. LAFC will have forward Armando González to worry about, scoring five goals in eight games to lead the Guadalajara attack early in the Clausura tournament.
Three days later, LAFC hosts Toluca in what could become one of the most entertaining matchups of the opening stage. The defending Liga MX champions arrive as one of Mexico's most dangerous attacking teams after leading the league in goals during both the 2025 Clausura and Apertura title runs.
LAFC will close Phase One with a first-time matchup against Querétaro, again at BMO Stadium. There isn't much to go off of with los Gallos Blancos — currently 17th out of 18 in Liga MX and not the greatest history in this tournament, bowing out in the opening phase the last two editions.
The Black & Gold enter the tournament with a history of deep runs in the competition. Their best finish came in 2024, when they advanced to the final before falling 3–1 to the Columbus Crew under the previous format.
With three Liga MX opponents visiting Los Angeles in the opening round and a strong attacking core already producing early in the 2026 season, LAFC will again aim to position itself among the tournament’s contenders when Leagues Cup returns in August.