The 2026 Leagues Cup enters its decisive stage with four quarterfinal series that will determine which teams advance to the semifinals. The quarterfinals will pit MLS clubs against Liga MX teams and will be played as single-game matches on U.S. soil.
If the score is tied after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided directly by a penalty shootout, with no extra time.
Monterrey visits Chicago Fire
Tuesday, August 25 | 8:30 p.m. ET
SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, Illinois
The Chicago Fire enters the match on a seven-game unbeaten streak, with six wins and one draw across all competitions. In the Leagues Cup, they defeated Necaxa (2-0), Santos Laguna (3-1), and Cruz Azul (2-1)—results that reflect their strong form in MLS.
Monterrey, on the other hand, has three wins and two losses in its five Liga MX matches. In the Leagues Cup, they started with a loss to Orlando City (2-1) but subsequently defeated Inter Miami (2-1) and Nashville SC (2-1).
The match will be hosted by Chicago Fire, as Monterrey does not hold home-field rights for this round.
León aims to keep its momentum going
Tuesday, August 25 | 10:30 p.m. ET
Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, Colorado
León enters the quarterfinals on a six-game winning streak. In the Leagues Cup, they defeated Nashville SC (1-0), Orlando City (2-1), and Inter Miami (3-2), results that placed them among the tournament’s final eight teams.
Real Salt Lake, for its part, is going through a rough patch. It has gone three games without a win and is coming off back-to-back losses to Dallas and Orlando City.
In the first round of the Leagues Cup, Real Salt Lake tied 1-1 with Tigres UANL and lost in a penalty shootout, before defeating Atlante (4-0) and Juárez (3-0).
Since León does not have home-field rights, the match will be hosted by its MLS rival in the United States.
América faces Columbus in California
Wednesday, August 26 | 10:45 p.m. ET
Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
América enters the match as the Liga MX leader and remains undefeated in the tournament. The Águilas also remain undefeated in regulation time in the Leagues Cup.
The Mexican team has five wins in its last six matches, including victories over San Diego (3-1) and Portland (3-1). Its only loss in this edition of the Leagues Cup came on penalty kicks against Austin, after a 1-1 draw in regulation.
Columbus Crew, meanwhile, is having a difficult season in the MLS and has lost its last three matches. In the Leagues Cup, however, they have posted positive results against Mexican teams, with victories over Atlas (3-1) and Pachuca (2-1), as well as a penalty shootout win over Pumas following a 1-1 draw.
América earned home-field advantage for the quarterfinals, but their match will be played at a neutral site.
Toluca aims for another regional victory
Wednesday, August 26 | 8:30 p.m. ET
Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, New Jersey
Austin FC and Toluca will face off in a series pitting two teams with very different situations in their respective leagues.
Austin enters the Leagues Cup undefeated after defeating Club Tijuana (2-0) and Puebla (3-0), as well as beating América in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw in regulation. In MLS, it sits in second-to-last place in the Western Conference.
Toluca, on the other hand, comes in as the 2025 Clausura and Apertura champion and the reigning champion of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup. The Diablos Rojos have suffered just one loss in their last six matches.
In this Leagues Cup, Toluca has already defeated the Seattle Sounders and Dallas, though it lost to Los Angeles FC.
Toluca earned home-field advantage for the quarterfinals, though its match will also be played at a neutral site.
The Road to the Final
The four quarterfinal winners will advance to the semifinals, scheduled for September 1–2. The third-place match and the final are scheduled for September 6.
According to the competition rules, Toluca and América—the two highest-ranked eligible Liga MX clubs—earned home-field advantage for the quarterfinals. Since Monterrey and León do not have that right, their respective matches are hosted by their MLS opponents.
At the end of the tournament, the champion, runner-up, and winner of the third-place match will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
