Club León face Deportivo Toluca FC at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston on Wednesday to decide the first finalist of the 2026 Leagues Cup.
The semi-final match brings together two Liga MX clubs in Texas, with León seeking to reach the final of the continental North American competition for the second time in team history.
León enter the high-stakes match under head coach Javier Gandolfi in impressive sporting form. The team has reversed its domestic standing in Mexico's Liga MX while establishing itself as the main surprise of the continental tournament.
To reach the semi-finals, León completed a notable run of victories against Major League Soccer opponents. The team eliminated Inter Miami, whose roster includes international stars Lionel Messi, Rodrigo De Paul and Luis Suárez, as well as Orlando City, featuring French forward Antoine Griezmann.
León also earned victories against Nashville and Real Salt Lake earlier in the tournament, building momentum ahead of their arrival in Houston for Wednesday's knockout clash.
Toluca's path to the semi-finals
Toluca began their 2026 Leagues Cup group stage schedule with an emphatic 3-0 victory against Seattle Sounders. The Mexican club then suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Los Angeles FC before recovering with a 3-1 victory over FC Dallas to advance from the group.
In the quarter-finals, the team known as the Diablos Rojos produced a solid defensive and attacking display to defeat Austin FC 2-0, securing their place in the final four of the tournament.
The matchup at Shell Energy Stadium, a soccer-specific venue located in Houston, Texas, guarantees that a Mexican club will claim the first spot in the 2026 Leagues Cup final.
Tournament history and title records
León are attempting to capture the Leagues Cup title for the second time. The club previously won the competition in 2021, when the tournament was held under a different format prior to its expansion into a comprehensive competition between Mexican and American leagues.
The Leagues Cup is an annual club football tournament involving teams from Liga MX, the top professional football division in Mexico, and Major League Soccer, the top professional division in the United States and Canada.
Kickoff times across time zones
The semi-final fixture between León and Toluca is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2. For supporters watching in Mexico, the opening kickoff will take place at 19:00 Central Mexico Time.
For television viewers and online streamers across the United States, the match starts at 21:00 Eastern Time, 20:00 Central Time, 19:00 Mountain Time and 18:00 Pacific Time.
Where to watch live broadcasts
Football fans in Mexico can follow the live broadcast on free-to-air and subscription networks, including Imagen Televisión, TUDN, TUDN En Vivo and Nu9ve, as well as through digital streaming on MLS Season Pass.
In the United States, live coverage of the semi-final is available exclusively on MLS Season Pass, the official digital subscription streaming service for the tournament.
Viewers located in Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela can also stream the semi-final match live on MLS Season Pass.
