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Tijuana hosts Puebla in Liga MX Apertura 2026 Jornada 12 on Friday, October 16, with kickoff at 11:05 PM ET (10:05 PM CT, 8:05 PM PT) at Estadio Caliente. In the United States, the match airs live on TUDN and streams on tudn.com and the TUDN app with a TV provider login.
The stakes are direct. Tijuana and Puebla are level on 15 points in eighth and ninth place, and eighth is the final direct Liguilla spot in a format with no Play-In round. The winner ends Friday night holding that spot.
| Match | Tijuana vs Puebla |
| Date | Friday, October 16, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 11:05 PM ET (10:05 PM CT, 8:05 PM PT) |
| Competition | Liga MX Apertura 2026, Jornada 12 |
| U.S. TV | TUDN |
| U.S. Stream | tudn.com, TUDN app (provider login) |
| Venue | Estadio Caliente, Tijuana |
Is Tijuana vs Puebla on TV in the US?
Yes. Tijuana vs Puebla is live on TUDN on Friday, October 16 at 11:05 PM ET, with Spanish-language commentary.
TUDN is the only channel showing the match in the United States. There is no Univision or UniMás simulcast and no English-language feed. If your TV package includes TUDN, you have the match. If it does not, no other channel will help.
Is Tijuana vs Puebla Free to Watch?
No confirmed free legal option exists for this match in the United States. TUDN is a pay channel, and tudn.com and the TUDN app require a participating TV provider login rather than offering the match free.
There is no over-the-air route either. The match does not air on a free broadcast network, so a digital antenna will not pick it up.
Where to Find TUDN
TUDN sits inside the Spanish-language sports packages of most large U.S. providers. DIRECTV carries the channel, including in its MiEspañol lineup, and Dish, Spectrum and Xfinity carry it as well. Channel numbers vary by market, so check your local listings before kickoff.
On streaming, the YouTube TV Spanish Plan is a standalone route built around TUDN, and DIRECTV’s streaming packages include the channel too.
Anyone whose provider carries TUDN can also use those same credentials to sign in on tudn.com and in the TUDN app.
Tijuana vs Puebla on YouTube TV
Yes, through the Spanish Plan. YouTube TV’s Spanish Plan carries TUDN live, so subscribers can stream the match on Friday night without a traditional cable package, on phones, tablets, computers and smart TVs.
Tijuana vs Puebla on DIRECTV
Yes. DIRECTV carries TUDN on satellite and through its streaming packages, including the MiEspañol lineup, so DIRECTV customers with TUDN in their package can watch live on Friday night.
DIRECTV credentials also work as a provider login on tudn.com and in the TUDN app, which is the flexible option if you are away from your television at kickoff.
Every Confirmed Streaming Option
Every confirmed U.S. streaming option for Tijuana vs Puebla runs through TUDN. They are:
tudn.com and the TUDN app. The network’s own platforms stream TUDN live. Sign in with a participating pay TV provider login to watch.
YouTube TV Spanish Plan. The Spanish Plan carries TUDN, which makes it a standalone streaming subscription that includes this match.
DIRECTV. DIRECTV packages that include TUDN, including MiEspañol, carry the match live on satellite and streaming.
No other U.S. streaming option is confirmed for this match. For the rest of the Jornada 12 slate and the full season picture, see our complete Liga MX viewing guide.
Match Preview
Eighth place hosts ninth at Estadio Caliente. Tijuana sit eighth on 15 points with a goal difference of plus one. Puebla are ninth on the same 15 points at minus one.
With no Play-In round in Apertura 2026, eighth place is the last direct ticket to the Liguilla quarterfinals. This is a head-to-head duel for it.
Tijuana hold one structural edge: a game in hand. Their postponed Jornada 7 match at Club America is rescheduled for October 28, so they have played one match fewer than Puebla and still have that extra fixture to come.
The pressure also comes from behind. Monterrey, on 14 points, and Pachuca, on 13, play each other on Sunday, so at least one of them gains ground this weekend.
The loser at Estadio Caliente could finish the round outside the top eight. A draw leaves both clubs looking over their shoulders.
Recent Form
League form, last five played. The records are identical: one win, two draws and two defeats for each club, and both are winless in their last four.
Tijuana. The run started with a 2-0 home win over Pumas UNAM.
It has stalled since: a 1-0 home loss to Queretaro, a 2-2 draw at Pachuca, and a 3-2 home loss to Atlas in a match Tijuana led at halftime.
Last weekend brought a 1-1 draw at FC Juarez. Mourad El Ghezouani’s penalty put Tijuana ahead before Rodrigo Dourado equalized in the 84th minute.
At Estadio Caliente, the pattern is sharper. Tijuana won their first four home matches of the tournament and have lost the last two, so Friday is about stopping a home slide as much as taking the eighth spot.
Puebla. La Franja lost 1-0 at home to Toluca, won 1-0 at Necaxa, drew 1-1 at home with Atlante, lost 1-0 at Tigres UANL and drew 1-1 at home with Leon last weekend.
Ismael Díaz put Leon ahead in that game before Eduardo Armenta equalized late for the hosts.
Puebla’s points have come on the road more than at home. Nine of their 15 points were earned away, from three wins and three defeats with no draws.
The concern is scoring. Puebla have managed only three goals across their last five matches.
Team News
Tijuana’s big question is Gilberto Mora. The midfielder, who turned 18 on October 14, missed the draw at FC Juarez as a precaution after leaving Mexico’s camp earlier this month with hip inflammation. His availability against Puebla is unconfirmed.
Head coach Sebastián Abreu, speaking last weekend, insisted Mora has an inflammation rather than an injury. He said the club will protect his recovery instead of rushing him.
Mora is still Tijuana’s top scorer with five league goals. His presence or absence changes how the hosts attack.
Puebla travel with three reported absences. Carlos Baltazar, Sergio Sanabria and Kevin Velasco are all expected to miss out through injury, according to En Linea Deportiva’s pre-match reporting. Defender Facundo Almada also referenced the injured group when he spoke this week.
No suspensions have been reliably reported for either club.
Key Storylines
A direct duel for the last Liguilla spot. Because Apertura 2026 sends its top eight straight to the quarterfinals with no Play-In, eighth place carries unusual weight. Two clubs level on points are fighting over it in person.
The winner takes the spot for the weekend, plus the inside track into the final five rounds.
The Mora watch. Mora turned 18 this week, leads Tijuana with five goals, and is the hosts’ biggest attacking threat. A return on Friday would change Tijuana’s front line.
If he sits again, Tijuana must find goals from a supporting cast that has produced one win in five.
Puebla’s Estadio Caliente problem. The history is bleak for the visitors. In 15 Liga MX meetings at Estadio Caliente, Tijuana have won eight and Puebla only two, with five draws.
Puebla’s last win there was a 1-0 result in February 2020. Tijuana are unbeaten in the six home meetings since.
The clubs’ most recent meeting anywhere, in February 2026, finished 0-0 at this stadium.
What Comes Next for Tijuana and Puebla?
Jornada 13 arrives quickly, on Wednesday, October 21. Tijuana travel to Toluca, while Puebla return home to face Monterrey, one of the clubs chasing them for eighth place.
Tijuana then host Santos Laguna on October 25 before the rearranged trip to Club America on October 28. Puebla visit Atlas on October 25. By the end of that run, the shape of the Liguilla race should be much clearer.
