Almost all of the North and South American club football prior to the 2026 FIFA World Cup has concluded. Over the weekend, Toluca added yet another title to their current dynasty, winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup, while Junior de Barranquilla has nearly completed back-to-back titles in Colombia’s Liga Betplay Dimayor. We share all the football headlines from the Americas region.
Toluca Wins CONCACAF Champions Cup
Toluca won a pair of Liga MX titles in 2025, and though they came up short in the quarterfinals of this year’s domestic playoff tournament, they still celebrated the joy of winning the CONCACAF Champions Cup in an all Liga MX final against Tigres UANL from Monterrey.
A veteran Tigres team with a respected decade of results in the Champions Cup was hoping for one last run of glory for striker Andre-Pierre Gignac and goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman, and they nearly achieved it, but in the end, the home team Toluca won a penalty shootout to secure their place in the next FIFA Club World Cup.
In a relatively boring final, played at altitude, a physical Toluca team had the edge in the first half but didn’t score. In the second half, Tigres upped the pressure and Gignac himself nearly scored but Toluca goalkeeper Luis Garcia had an elite night making eight saves (plus he stopped two penalties in the shootout). The match went to extra time, and though Jorge Diaz scored for Toluca, they would concede in the 114th minute, the header or Joaquim off a free kick leveling the score once more. The game would go to penalties and by a 6-5 margin, similar to a recent Liga MX final, it was Toluca that emerged as the winners with former Tigres player Sebastian Cordova one of the final players to convert his penalty kick.
Tigres will be left frustrated, as one of the highest spending teams in Liga MX, they remain without a recent trophy, while Toluca, managed by Turco Mohamed have built one of Mexico’s modern dynasties, with players like Marcel Ruiz playing on an injured knee, and Portugese international Paulinho the best non-Mexican player in Liga MX. It’s the second ever CONCACAF Champions Cup title for Toluca.
Junior de Barranquilla Dominates First Leg of Liga Betplay Dimayor Final
Junior de Barranquilla may have endured a poor Copa Libertadores campaign, and only had a modest regular season record, but in the Liga Betplay Dimayor playoffs, they have shown why they remain Colombia’s strongest team. Facing the firepower of Atletico Nacional in the first leg of the Apertura final at home in Barranquilla, they jumped on the Verdolaga early and emerged 3-0 winners after the first 90 minutes of the final clash.
Bryan Castrillon took advantage of an error by Atletico Nacional’s backup goalkeeper Harlan ‘Chipi Chipi’ Castillo in the 7th minute to give Junior the first goal. Castillo was deputized into starting as David Ospina, the regular starter for Nacional, is with Colombia’s national team for the World Cup.
Things got even sweeter for Junior after that, dominating the run of play, with Atletico Nacional players frequently slipping and falling on the pitch, Luis Muriel found the second goal in the 36th minute. The star striker, who Junior paid to bring in from MLS in the most recent transfer window, has paid off. Muriel’s veteran presence was a key factor in the outcome, as Junior had 21 shots on goal to compared to just 9 for Nacional.
Looking shellshocked at the half, things got worse for Atletico Nacional in the second half. Junior was awarded a controversial penalty that was low contact. Muriel converted the penalty, and with a 3-0 lead, Junior focused on seeing out the game without conceding. Nacional’s expensive attack with players like Juan Manuel Rengifo, and Alfredo Morelos was a complete non-factor in the game, and similar to their final last season against Tolima, the only thing left for Junior to do in the second leg is defend respectably away from home in the second leg of the final on Monday.
Judging by the body language of the Atletico Nacional players, Junior can practically carve their name into the trophy now as manager Alfredo Arias has shown his brilliance in tactical setup once again.
CONEMBOL Sides Set Their Final World Cup Squads
The world turns its eyes to international football now, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The six qualified CONEMBOL nations, plus hosts Mexico, Canada, and the USA are among the 48 teams that have set their final World Cup squads of 26.
Among the surprises for South American teams, Neymar made the cut for Brazil, while Mexico are taking Chivas striker Hormiga Gonzalez and teenager Gilberto Mora to the World Cup.
In an analysis of the final squads for all 48 teams, the U.S. top division league MLS (44 players), and Brazil’s Brasileiro (32 players), the top league in South America are among the top 10 leagues sending players to the World Cup. While the Brasilerio has used its wealth to acquire some of the best talent on the continent, beyond Brazil, MLS is contributing players to a wide variety of nations, ranging from Son Heung-Min for South Korea, Croatia’s Petar Musa, Iraq’s Ahmad Qasem, and four Paraguayans players including Miguel Almiron.
In terms of player development, South America continues to be a mix of veteran teams and young teams. Ecuador has an average squad age of just 26, with the Ecuadorian league proving to be a great player development ground right now before top talent heads to Europe or the bigger South American leagues. By contrast, Colombia, Panama, and Brazil, all with an average age above 29, are among the tournament’s five oldest squads and will need to regenerate for the next round of international tournaments.
One final note, Argentina remains a hotbed of respected international managers, with six Argentine nationals managing World Cup teams, they lead the list of manager nationalities.
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