San Diego meets Toluca in Champions Cup | OneFootball

MIAMI – The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup continues with San Diego FC hosting Deportivo Toluca FC in the first leg of their Round of 16 series on Wednesday at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, USA. 

It will be the first time the team’s face each other in the Champions Cup.

Toluca, the reigning Liga MX champions, will be playing in the Round of 16 for the third time. The Diablos Rojos were triumphant in this stage of the tournament against W Connection in 2003, the club’s second and previous Champions Cup conquest, but were eliminated by Sporting Kansas City in 2019.

The Mexican side is making its first appearance in the tournament since 2004, when it exited in Round One after falling to CS Herediano.

San Diego FC is in its Champions Cup debut campaign after a historic inaugural MLS season. The club defeated Pumas UNAM 4-2 on aggregate in Round One. Led by 2025 MLS Newcomer of the Year Anders Dreyer, SDFC set expansion-club records for points (63) and wins (19) in the MLS regular season to qualify for the tournament.

This series will mark the eighth time an MLS team plays Liga MX opposition in the Round of 16. The U.S. sides have only advanced twice: Sporting Kansas City in 2019 and Los Angeles FC in 2020.

All-Time series

Deportivo Toluca and San Diego FC will face each other for the first time in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Deportivo Toluca is playing in the Round of 16 for the third time. They were eliminated once by Sporting Kansas City in 2019 with a 5-0 aggregate score and advanced in 2003 against W Connection (TRI) with a 6-5 aggregate victory.

Series vs Sporting Kansas City 

First leg (February 21, 2019), (Children’s Mercy Park, USA) Sporting Kansas City 3 (goals by Krisztian Németh 35’, Gerso Fernandes 52’, and Ilie Sánchez 72’) Deportivo Toluca 0.

Second leg (February 28, 2019) (Estadio Nemesio Díez) Deportivo Toluca 0 Sporting Kansas City 2 (Gerso Fernandes 8’ and Krisztian Németh penalty 62’). This remains the only victory by a United States club at Estadio Nemesio Díez in the history of the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Series vs W Connection 6-5 aggregate victory

First leg (March 12, 2003) (Estadio Nemesio Díez, MEX) Deportivo Toluca 3 (brace by Vicente Sánchez 65’, 83’ and Edgar García 77’) W Connection 2 (Rolando Viana 18’ and Kendall Davis 38’).

Second leg (April 2, 2003) (Manny Ramjohn Stadium, TRI) W Connection 3 (Earl Jean 47’, Silvio Spann 69’, and George Isaac 73’) Deportivo Toluca 3 (Ariel “El Tigre” Franco 15’, 67’ and Sinha 62’).

San Diego FC will play in the Round of 16 for the first time. It will become the 14th MLS team to reach the Round of 16 in its debut tournament, with MLS sides achieving qualification 8 times (61.5%) and being eliminated 5 times (38.5%).

Record between Liga MX and MLS teams in the Round of 16

The matchup between Deportivo Toluca and San Diego FC will be the eighth Round of 16 series between Liga MX and MLS. U.S. teams have won the series only twice: Sporting Kansas City vs Deportivo Toluca (2019) and Los Angeles FC vs Club León (2020).

Consecutive series won by Liga MX teams vs MLS

• Tigres UANL vs Orlando City (2023)

• CF Pachuca vs Philadelphia Union (2024)

• Tigres UANL vs Orlando City (2024)

• CF Monterrey vs FC Cincinnati (2024)

• Tigres UANL vs FC Cincinnati (2025)

• Cruz Azul vs Seattle Sounders FC (2025)

Top scorers in the Round of 16: Deportivo Toluca (MEX): Vicente Sánchez (2), Ariel Franco (2), Sinha (1), Édgar García (1).