The Union are headed to Trinidad in the Concacaf Champions Cup
The series against Defense Force FC is expected to be played in mid-February, and the Union will visit one of the Caribbean's most famous soccer stadiums.
If the idea of a trip to Trinidad in mid-February sounds appealing, you’ll want to know how the Union will kick off their 2026 campaign.
The first official game of next year will be against Defence Force FC of Trinidad & Tobago in the Concacaf Champions Cup. Defence Force won the Trinidadian league title in the 2024-25 season, then finished third in this year’s regional Caribbean Cup tournament.
The tournament starts in February, and though Concacaf hasn’t set the exact schedule yet, traditionally MLS teams play their first-round games in the middle of the month. If that is true again this time, the Union would play at Defence Force some time from Feb. 17-19, then fly north for their Feb. 21 MLS opener at D.C. United.
Soccer history buffs will appreciate that Defence Force’s home is Trinidad’s most famous sports venue, Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain. It was the site of the U.S. men’s soccer team’s legendary “Shot Heard ‘Round The World” win over the Soca Warriors in 1989 that clinched qualification for the 1990 World Cup, ending a 40-year tournament drought.
Defence Force’s name is literal: its squads have historically been built with members of Trinidad’s armed forces. But the soccer is serious too, as the club’s 24 domestic league titles are a record by far. It’s also the only Trinidadian club to have won the Concacaf title, in 1978 and 1985.
The Union will presumably host their home leg of the series some time from Feb. 24-26, leading up to the March 1 league opener against New York City FC.
Should the Union advance as expected, the tone of things will change fast. Either Mexican juggernaut Club América or Honduras’ Olimpia would await in the round of 16. The Union haven’t faced América since the 2021 Concacaf semifinals, Philadelphia’s first time in the tournament, when América won both games by 2-0 scores.
That round is scheduled for March 10-12 and 17-19, and it’s not clear which team would host first. Around those dates, the Union host the San Jose Earthquakes on March 7, visit Atlanta United on March 14, and host the Chicago Fire on March 21.
After that, MLS stops for the March FIFA window, the last national team games before the World Cup.
2026 Concacaf Champions Cup first round
Games are listed in order of the bracket. Some series will be played Feb. 3-5 and 10-12, and others will be played Feb. 17-19 and 24-26. Concacaf will confirm the schedule at a later date.
— Pumas UNAM (Mexico) vs. San Diego FC (United States); the winner plays Toluca (Mexico)
— Los Angeles Galaxy (United States) vs. Sporting San Miguelito (Panama); the winner plays Mount Pleasant (Jamaica)
— Cruz Azul (Mexico) vs. Vancouver FC (Canada)
— Monterrey (Mexico) vs. Xelajú (Guatemala); the winner plays Cruz Azul or Vancouver FC
— Los Angeles FC (United States) vs. Real España (Honduras); the winner plays Alajuelense (Costa Rica)
— Nashville SC (United States) vs. Atlético Ottawa (Canada); the winner plays Inter Miami (United States)
— Club América (Mexico) vs. Olimpia (Honduras)
— Union (United States) vs Defence Force FC (Trinidad & Tobago); the winner plays América or Olimpia
— Tigres UANL (Mexico) vs. Forge FC (Canada)
— FC Cincinnati (United States) vs. O&M FC (Dominican Republic); the winner plays Tigres or Forge
— Vancouver Whitecaps (Canada) vs. Cartaginés (Costa Rica); the winner plays the Seattle Sounders (United States)
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