Portland to host LIGA MX sides Club Puebla, Club América and Club Tijuana at Providence Park
PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers are set to start their Leagues Cup 2026 campaign against LIGA MX side Club Puebla in the opening match of Phase One on Thursday, August 6, at Providence Park, MLS and LIGA MX announced today. Portland will also face Club América for the second consecutive year on Sunday, August 9, and Club Tijuana on Thursday, August 13, to close out the group-stage of the tournament. All three Phase One matches for the Timbers will be played at Providence Park with kickoff times set to be announced at a later date. Leagues Cup matches are available for purchase through Timbers Annual Memberships and Flex Plan packages. Single match tickets will go on sale in the coming weeks, visit Timbers.com for additional ticketing information.
Portland is set to participate in the international tournament for the fourth-straight year and currently holds a 5-1-1 record in Leagues Cup Phase One play, outscoring their opponents 15-4. Portland has faced LIGA MX teams 16 different times, with the latest matchup being a 1-1 draw with Club América on August 6, 2025, at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. The Timbers will face Club Puebla and Club Tijuana for the first time in club history, while taking on Club América for the fourth time dating back to 2021 in Concacaf Champions League play.
Tournament Format
Leagues Cup Phase One matches were determined by the Leagues Cup Ranking, as well as by region. MLS clubs are ranked based on the final 2025 MLS Supporters’ Shield standings, while LIGA MX clubs are ranked based on cumulative performance across the Apertura 2025 and Clausura 2025 tournaments. The international competition will take place from August 4 to September 6, and just like the 2025 edition, this year’s competition will consist of Phase One and the Knockout Rounds. Phase One will provide 54 MLS vs LIGA MX matches over nine days of competition to be played between August 4-13. Knockout Stage venue assignments will be governed by the Leagues Cup tournament regulations and determined at a later date. The MLS regular season will continue play through the months of August and early September, with most Leagues Cup knockout matches played midweek.
Leagues Cup will award three qualification spots to the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup - the competition’s champion, runner-up, and third-place finisher. The Leagues Cup 2026 champion will earn a direct berth to the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
Where to Watch
Fans in over 100 countries and regions will be able to watch all Leagues Cup matches on Apple TV, which offers subscribers an array of original movies, series, and documentaries alongside premium live sports and is available to watch across all of a user’s favorite screens. In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast homes for select matches. Game times and additional broadcast details for Leagues Cup Phase One matches will be announced in the coming weeks.
