Atlético Ottawa and Nashville SC open Champions Cup series | OneFootball

MIAMI – The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup continues with debutants Atlético Ottawa hosting Nashville SC in the first leg of their Round One series on Tuesday at Hamilton Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. 

Making its first appearance in the tournament, Atlético Ottawa clinched its ticket to this year’s edition as champions of the Canadian Premier League. The likes of Samuel Salter, and David Rodriguez will seek to catapult the Canadian side to a good first impression after combining for over 30 goals during the 2025 season.

Nashville SC returns to the Champions Cup after making its first appearance in 2024. The MLS club qualified by winning its first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Former MLS MVP Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge, who finished tied for second in the MLS Golden Boot race with 24 goals, will spearhead the offense for the team from the Music City.

A Look Back at Their Champions Cup Campaigns

Atlético Ottawa and Nashville SC will meet for the first time in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Atlético Ottawa will make its tournament debut in the 2026 edition, becoming the 10th Canadian club to participate. This will be the eighth series all-time between clubs from Canada and the United States in the history of the competition. Canadian clubs have recorded seven wins, U.S. clubs have earned four victories, and three matches have ended in draws. For Nashville SC, this will be its first match against a Canadian opponent.

Atlético Ottawa will be the fourth Canadian club to make its historic debut against a club from the United States, and the second to do so against an MLS team. The first was Vancouver Whitecaps, which drew 1-1 against Seattle Sounders FC on Matchday 1 of Group F on August 5, 2015 (Tim Parker for Whitecaps / Lamar Neagle for Seattle Sounders), followed by Cavalry FC against Orlando City in the First Round of the 2024 edition, a series that ended with a 6-1 aggregate defeat for the Canadian club.

Nashville SC will play its third series in the history of the competition. The club has advanced once and been eliminated once. Its qualification came against Moca FC (DOM) with a 7-0 aggregate score in the First Round of the 2024 edition. The first leg was played on February 22, 2024, with a 3-0 victory at Estadio Cibao in Santiago de los Caballeros (DOM), with goals by Hany Mukhtar, Sam Surridge, and Tyler Boyd. The second leg was played on February 28, 2024, at Geodis Park in Nashville (USA), where Nashville SC earned a 4-0 win with goals from McKenzie Gaines, a brace by Forster Ajago, and Jacob Shaffelburg.

Nashville SC’s elimination came against Inter Miami FC in the Round of 16 of the 2024 edition, with a 5-3 aggregate score. The first leg was played on March 7, 2024, ending in a 2-2 draw at Geodis Park in Nashville (USA), with a brace by Jacob Shaffelburg for the hosts and goals by Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez for Las Garzas. In the second leg, played on March 13, 2024, Inter Miami FC won 3-1 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale (USA), with goals by Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi, and Robert Taylor, while Sam Surridge scored for the visitors.