Galaxy to Face Panamanian club Sporting SM in 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup opener

The LA Galaxy will begin their 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign against Panamanian side Sporting San Miguelito, as determined by Tuesday's official draw.

The two-legged series will be played in one of the four February 2026 windows announced by Concacaf (Feb. 3-5, 10-12, 17-19, or 24-26). The exact match dates will be announced at a later time.

The Galaxy, by virtue of their 3rd place finish in Leagues Cup, were drawn against the Panamanian club in the tournament’s Round of 32.

A victory would send the Galaxy into a Round of 16 clash with Jamaican club Mount Pleasant FC, which received a first-round bye as the winners of the 2025 Concacaf Caribbean Cup.  

The bracket, however, reveals a daunting potential path forward. The Galaxy landed in a loaded half of the bracket featuring several heavyweights, including Southern California rivals LAFC and San Diego FC as well as Mexican giants like Cruz Azul, Monterrey, Pumas and Toluca.

The continental tournament will coincide with what should be a significant boost for the Galaxy: the expected return of Riqui Puig. 

The Spanish midfielder missed the entire 2025 season after suffering a torn ACL during the 2024 Western Conference Final before the club went on to win MLS cup. The 2026 Champions Cup could mark his first competitive minutes in over a year and his debut in the competition.

The Galaxy’s 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup run ended in the quarterfinals with a narrow 3-2 aggregate loss to Mexico’s Tigres UANL. The club’s only Champions Cup title came in 2000, with the Seattle Sounders in 2022 the only other MLS club to win it since.

This year’s winner will secure a place in two global tournaments: the 2026 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.