Tigres and Atlante Kick Off Leagues Cup with Victories

Mexican teams Tigres and Atlante began the 2026 Leagues Cup with hard-fought victories, showcasing the competitive spirit between Liga MX and Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs. Tigres edged out Real Salt Lake 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw, with Juan Brunetta scoring early for Tigres and Pablo Ruiz equalizing for Real Salt Lake. Atlante, managed by Miguel Herrera, secured a win in regular time against Vancouver Whitecaps thanks to a notable goal from Julio.

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Tigres and Atlante suffered to secure their first wins of the tournament; the former did so via the penalty spot, while the Potros achieved it in the 90 minutes.

However, the opening jornada also saw mixed fortunes for other Mexican sides. Pumas were convincingly defeated by Charlotte FC with a 3-0 scoreline. Juárez managed to secure a victory against Minnesota United, winning 2-1. Atlas faced a 3-1 defeat against Columbus Crew, and Pachuca also fell by the same scoreline to Cincinnati.

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Tigres opened the scoring against Real Salt Lake early in the match thanks to a goal from Juan Brunetta (6'), but Pablo Ruiz's goal (16') took the match to penalties.

The Leagues Cup, which pits teams from Mexico's Liga MX against MLS clubs, is a significant tournament for inter-league pride and competition. The results from this opening round highlight the varied performances of Mexican teams as they vie for supremacy against their North American counterparts.

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At the same time, Miguel Herrera's team faced Vancouver Whitecaps, and with an impressive goal from Julio, they managed to seal the victory in regular time.