A look into San Diego FC’s rivals in 2025 Leagues Cup
Credit: SDFC
Along with the 2025 MLS regular season, San Diego FC will also participate in the Leagues Cup.
The Leagues Cup is an international competition that features teams from MLS and Liga MX.
While the tournament has been heavily criticized in the past, it has increased in intensity recently with a CONCACAF Champions League spot on the line. Some of the cross-league games between MLS and Liga MX can get very competitive and exciting.
San Diego FC was put into a group that features all Liga MX rivals with Tigres UANL, Pachuca, and Mazatlan. This group is challenging for a first-year MLS side like San Diego FC. However, the games do not start until July 29, and all will be played at Snapdragon Stadium.
Pachuca
SDFC’s first game in the League Cup on July 29 will be against Pachuca, which is a club with a lot of history in Mexican football. Los Tuzos are the current CONCACAF Champions League champions and had a fruitful display at the FIFA Intercontinental Cup, defeating Copa Libertadores’ champs Botafogo.
Pachuca has an impressive attacking line featuring former Premier League striker Salomon Rondon and former Copa Libertadores champ John Kennedy. There will be another complete transfer window for Liga MX teams before this tournament starts, but those two players are likely to stay with Pachuca. This is also Hirving Lozano’s former club as this is set to be an emotional clash for the Mexican superstar.
Tigres UANL
Tigres has a bit less of a historical presence in Liga MX but is the better team currently and has been redefining its history for over a decade. Andre-Pierre Gignac is Tigres’ star and one of the best Liga MX players in the illustrious history of the league. The team from Monterrey are contenders for the Liga MX title each year and will be contenders in the Legaues Cup. San Diego plays Tigres at Snapdragon Stadium on Friday, August 1.
Mazatlan FC
Mazatlan FC are the newest Liga MX team as this is a fitting matchup against the newest MLS side. The team from Sinaloa is having a decent start to the season with seven points from six games played but has been stuck in a rut for a while. Mazatlan can be a dangerous team at home but may struggle away from home in this tournament. SDFC faces Los Bukaneros on Tuesday, August 5.
Francisco, 28, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.