Liga MX clubs are using the October FIFA window to keep their squads sharp, and supporters on both sides of the border get the payoff. Five friendlies involving Liga MX sides are confirmed for October 1 through 4: a Clásico Nacional in Oakland, a Clásico Joven in San Diego, a Leagues Cup final rematch in Houston, a cross-border date between the LA Galaxy and Cruz Azul, and Mexico’s Olympic hopefuls facing Pachuca at Estadio Hidalgo.
Below is the full schedule, followed by a closer look at each match. One note before kickoff: U.S. television has been confirmed for one of the five matches so far. Thursday’s Clásico Joven airs on UniMás and TUDN; TV and streaming details for the other four have not been officially announced.
| Match | Date | Where to Watch |
|---|---|---|
| Club America vs Cruz Azul | October 1 | Where to watch |
| Pachuca vs Mexico U23 | October 2 | Where to watch |
| Monterrey vs Toluca | October 3 | Where to watch |
| LA Galaxy vs Cruz Azul | October 4 | Where to watch |
| Club America vs Chivas Guadalajara | October 4 | Where to watch |
October 2026 Friendly Schedule
| Date | Match | Kickoff (ET) | Venue | City |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 1 | Club América vs Cruz Azul | 10:30 PM* | Snapdragon Stadium | San Diego, CA |
| Friday, October 2 | Pachuca vs Mexico U23 | 10:00 PM | Estadio Hidalgo | Pachuca, Mexico |
| Saturday, October 3 | Monterrey vs Toluca | 7:30 PM | Shell Energy Stadium | Houston, TX |
| Sunday, October 4 | LA Galaxy vs Cruz Azul | 8:30 PM | Dignity Health Sports Park | Carson, CA |
| Sunday, October 4 | Club América vs Chivas Guadalajara | 8:30 PM* | Oakland Coliseum | Oakland, CA |
*Snapdragon Stadium’s official event page lists a 7:30 PM PT kickoff, which is 10:30 PM ET. Some outlets have listed 11:00 PM ET instead. For Oakland, current ticketing listings and the latest reports give a 5:30 PM PT kickoff (8:30 PM ET); some early announcements listed 6:00 PM PT (9:00 PM ET). Confirm with the venue’s listing before making plans.
Club América vs Chivas Guadalajara: Clásico Nacional Returns to Oakland
Sunday, October 4, 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM ET). Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, California.
The standout date on this friendly slate is also the most immediate sequel. Just two weeks after a dramatic 2-2 draw in the league on September 19 at Estadio Banorte, Club América and Chivas Guadalajara meet again, this time in California. Chivas led 2-0 at halftime that night through Bryan González and Ricardo Marín, before América substitute Miguel Borja produced a second-half brace, including a bicycle kick, to rescue a point.
Chivas Guadalajara returns to Oakland for the first time in nearly three decades. The last visit came in 1997, when the Rojiblancos beat América 3-2 in the same city. The match is possible because of Oakland Roots SC’s investment of roughly $700,000 to convert the Coliseum field for soccer ahead of the 2025 season; Mexico’s friendly against Japan drew nearly 50,000 fans there last September.
What to watch: both clubs are expected to rotate during the FIFA window, but the September 19 comeback gives this edition an extra edge. Chivas will want to finish the job after letting a two-goal lead slip, while América can build on the momentum of its late rally. New signing Carlos Álvarez made his América debut in that league meeting and could feature again.
Club América vs Cruz Azul: Clásico Joven Heads to San Diego
Thursday, October 1, 7:30 PM PT (10:30 PM ET). Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, California.
U.S. TV: UniMás and TUDN; no U.S. stream has been confirmed. For the full viewing details, see our where-to-watch guide for Cruz Azul vs Club America.
The Clásico Joven gets a second act less than three weeks after producing a seven-goal thriller in the league. When the sides met on September 13, Cruz Azul survived a 4-3 classic at home, building a 3-0 halftime lead through Erik Lira, José Paradela and Jesús Orozco, then holding off a late América rally featuring goals from Brian Rodríguez, Óscar Perea and Miguel Borja.
América arrives under newly appointed head coach Guillermo Almada, sitting atop the Apertura 2026 standings. Cruz Azul counters as the reigning Clausura 2026 champions under Joel Huiqui, winners of this summer’s Campeón de Campeones, and holders of ten league titles. The two clubs share the record for Concacaf Champions Cup titles, with seven apiece.
What to watch: the Almada versus Huiqui coaching matchup, still fresh after September’s shootout, and whether América can get revenge before Cruz Azul heads north to face the Galaxy three days later.
LA Galaxy vs Cruz Azul: Third Meeting in Southern California
Sunday, October 4, 5:30 PM PT (8:30 PM ET). Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.
Cruz Azul’s second friendly in three days comes against a familiar opponent. The October 4 match will be the third meeting between the clubs in Southern California. They played to a 1-1 draw in Leagues Cup competition in August 2025, with Cruz Azul advancing 8-7 on penalties after Gabriel Pec’s 81st-minute equalizer in front of more than 24,000 fans. They also met in a friendly on August 20, 2019, a 2-1 Cruz Azul win.
The Galaxy are six-time MLS Cup champions in the middle of a playoff push, with new additions including Hirving Lozano, Sergi Roberto, Kyōgo Furuhashi and Pablo Ruiz still finding their footing as the club chases a postseason spot over the final weeks of the MLS regular season.
What to watch: rotation is inevitable during the international window, which should give minutes to squad players and prospects on both sides. For the Galaxy, it is another chance to build chemistry with their new signings. For Cruz Azul, it is a test of squad depth at the end of a busy stretch.
Monterrey vs Toluca: Leagues Cup Final Rematch in Houston
Saturday, October 3, 6:30 PM CT (7:30 PM ET). Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, Texas.
The quickest final rematch in recent memory lands in the same stadium where the trophy was lifted. Just 27 days after Toluca beat Monterrey 2-0 in the Leagues Cup 2026 final, with goals from Alexis Vega and Helinho before a sold-out crowd of 21,144, the two sides meet again at Shell Energy Stadium. That September victory made Toluca the first Liga MX club to win Leagues Cup in the competition’s modern era, and the club also holds back-to-back Liga MX titles from Clausura 2025 and Apertura 2025. Monterrey reached its first Leagues Cup final after beating Chicago Fire in the quarterfinals and Club América on penalties in the semifinals. A fan fest begins outside the stadium at 2:00 PM CT.
What to watch: whether Monterrey can answer for the final defeat with so little time passed, and how both coaches use the break to test lineups ahead of the stretch run.
Pachuca vs Mexico U23: Copa Pachuca Opens the Olympic Cycle
Friday, October 2, 8:00 PM local (10:00 PM ET). Estadio Hidalgo, Pachuca, Mexico.
The one fixture of the five played in Mexico carries a distinct purpose. Billed as the Copa Pachuca, the friendly is the opening step of the Mexico U23 national team’s preparations for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. Estadio Hidalgo has history with this kind of match: the Tri Sub-23 drew 1-1 with Argentina there on October 15, 2019.
What to watch: the next generation of Mexican talent, with Pachuca’s academy pipeline facing the country’s Olympic hopefuls at the start of a two-year cycle.
Five games in four days across San Diego, Houston, Carson, Oakland and Pachuca. Thursday’s Clásico Joven airs in the U.S. on UniMás and TUDN; check back closer to kickoff for confirmed television and streaming information for the remaining matches. For the full Liga MX viewing picture in the meantime, see our Liga MX watch guide.
