San Diego FC and Philadelphia Union exit 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup after Round of 16 defeats

Two MLS clubs fall short in mid-March knockout ties

San Diego FC and the Philadelphia Union have been eliminated from the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, ending their runs in the tournament’s Round of 16 as the competition moved into its decisive two-leg phase.

San Diego FC’s elimination came after a dramatic swing in its series against Mexico’s Toluca. San Diego carried momentum into the matchup after advancing from Round One with a 4–2 aggregate victory over Pumas UNAM, a result sealed despite a 1–0 second-leg loss in Mexico City on Feb. 10.

San Diego FC’s early advantage erased in decisive second leg

In the Round of 16 opener, San Diego won 3–2 at home on March 11, giving the expansion club a narrow aggregate edge heading into the return leg. The second leg was played in Toluca on March 19, where Toluca won 4–0, overturning the tie and sending San Diego out of the tournament.

• Round One: San Diego FC advanced past Pumas UNAM, 4–2 on aggregate.
• Round of 16, Leg 1 (March 11): San Diego FC 3, Toluca 2.
• Round of 16, Leg 2 (March 19): Toluca 4, San Diego FC 0.

Philadelphia Union eliminated after Round of 16 matchup with Club América

Philadelphia’s 2026 Champions Cup run began emphatically. In Round One, the Union defeated Defence Force FC by a 12–0 aggregate score, including a 7–0 second-leg win in Chester, Pennsylvania on Feb. 26. The result set up a Round of 16 meeting with Mexico’s Club América.

In the first leg on March 10 at Subaru Park, Philadelphia lost 1–0. The scoreline left the Union needing a reversal in the return fixture in Mexico City. The second leg concluded Philadelphia’s campaign, with the Union failing to recover the deficit and exiting before the quarterfinal stage.

The Round of 16 was played across two legs from March 10–12 and March 17–19, with aggregate score determining who advanced.

What the exits mean

The eliminations narrow the Champions Cup field as the tournament progresses toward the quarterfinals in April. For San Diego FC, the result closes the club’s first Champions Cup campaign after a Round One series win and a home victory in the Round of 16. For Philadelphia, it ends a run that featured a historically lopsided opening-round aggregate win but stalled against a Liga MX opponent in the Round of 16.