RENTON, WASH. – Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX today announced the official match schedule for Leagues Cup 2026. Similar to last year, Leagues Cup will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Round. Sounders FC begins Phase One with a trip to Mexico to face Toluca FC on Wednesday, August 5 before hosting Querétaro on Sunday, August 9 and Chivas de Guadalajara on Wednesday, August 12 on the Emerald Queen Casino Pitch at Lumen Field (kickoff times TBA). The August 9 match vs. Querétaro is included in Sounders FC 2026 Season Ticket Memberships, with single-match tickets for both Leagues Cup home fixtures available to the public now via the links below.
Taking place from August 4-September 6, the fourth edition of Leagues Cup sees a continuation of the annual Concacaf-sanctioned tournament featuring MLS and LIGA MX with a continental title and three qualifying spots for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup on the line. For the second consecutive year, Leagues Cup features a competition format where 18 qualifying MLS teams and all 18 LIGA MX teams will face off in exclusively interleague matches through the Quarterfinals. At the conclusion of Phase One, the top four clubs in each league-specific table advance to the Knockout Round.
This marks the first time that Leagues Cup matches will be played in Mexico, with the top three ranked LIGA MX clubs hosting. Seattle opens Phase One in Mexico against reigning LIGA MX champion Toluca FC on Wednesday, August 5. Toluca is coming off a historic year in which it captured both the 2025 Clausura and 2025 Apertura titles.
Sounders FC then returns home to host its final two Phase One matches, beginning with the club’s first-ever meeting with Querétaro on Sunday, August 9. The Rave Green conclude Phase One on Wednesday, August 12 against de Guadalajara. The two sides previously met in the 2018 Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals, with Seattle winning the first leg 1-0 at home before falling 3-0 in Mexico.
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. Leagues Cup 2026 will maintain its current no draws format. During Phase One, each club receives one point if the game is tied after 90 minutes. The winner of the subsequent penalty shootout will earn an additional point. Regulation wins count as three points. During the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals, Semifinals, Third-Place Match and Final, if tied at the end of regulation time the winner will be determined by a subsequent penalty shootout.
Sounders FC went unbeaten in six matches and outscored its opposition 16-2 during the 2025 tournament, defeating LIGA MX sides Cruz Azul, Santos Laguna, Club Tijuana and Club Puebla. After advancing past the LA Galaxy in the Semifinals, the Rave Green secured the Leagues Cup trophy with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Inter Miami CF in the Final at Lumen Field in front of 69,314 fans. The win etched Seattle into history as the first MLS club to capture all five major North American trophies (MLS Cup, Supporters’ Shield, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Concacaf Champions Cup and Leagues Cup).
Following a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake over the weekend, Sounders FC continues its five-match road stretch with a trip to St. Louis CITY FC on Saturday, March 7 at Energizer Park (5:30 p.m. PT / Apple TV, iHeart.com, El Rey 1360 AM).
