América and Monterrey clash for a spot in the Leagues Cup 2026 final as Almeyda faces old foes

Mexican giants América and Monterrey (Rayados) meet on September 1 and 2 in the semifinals of the 2026 Leagues Cup — a fixture originally scheduled for October 10 in Liga MX's Apertura 2026 but brought forward by the tournament's knockout stage. As Diario AS reports, the match takes place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, with the winner advancing to the final.

Almeyda's history with América

A key storyline is the return of Monterrey coach Matías Almeyda to face a club that repeatedly tormented him during his time at Chivas de Guadalajara. According to Diario AS, Almeyda faced América 11 times as Chivas boss, finishing with a balanced record of 4 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses. However, in three separate knockout series, América became something of a recurring nightmare: in the 2016 Clausura quarterfinals, Chivas collapsed after a missed penalty; in the 2016 Copa MX semifinals, Almeyda finally got revenge via a penalty shootout; but in the 2016 Apertura quarterfinals, América eliminated Chivas once again. Notably, in none of those three encounters did the winner go on to lift the tournament title — a pattern both sides will hope to break this time.

Confirmed América lineup

As reported by 365Scores, América's starting XI features veteran goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota. The back line consists of Cristian Borja at left back, Israel Reyes and Ramón Juárez at center back, and Kevin Álvarez at right back. In midfield, Erick Sánchez and Alan Cervantes handle containment and ball recovery, while an attacking trio of Isaías Violante, Portuguese playmaker Gabriel Veiga and Brian Rodríguez operates further forward. Captain Henry Martín leads the attack as the team's central striker.

The sources do not provide details on Monterrey's confirmed lineup.

Context

This year's Leagues Cup has been marked by a strong Mexican presence in the semifinal stage, described by observers as a Mexican "takeover" of the competition. The América-Monterrey tie is considered one of the tournament's marquee matchups, combining a long-standing rivalry, a coach's personal history, and high stakes with a final berth on the line.