Los Angeles Football Club advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup on Tuesday night by defeating Real España 1-0 at BMO Stadium in the second match of their two-leg, Round One series. LAFC now moves on to face L.D. Alajuelense of Costa Rica in the next stage of the regional tournament, having earned a 7-1 aggregate-goal victory against España over two legs.
Defender Nkosi Tafari scored the game’s only goal in the 64th minute, his first for the Black & Gold since joining the club in January 2025.
Marc Dos Santos made seven changes to the starting eleven that had taken the field against Inter Miami just 72 hours earlier, with forwards Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga, midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, and Tafari being the only holdovers from those who started Saturday night’s emotional 3-0 win.
Tuesday's opening half did not produce many chances for either side, the exception being a through-ball from Swedish Under-22 signing Amin Boudri to forward Tyler Boyd, whose sharp shot was saved by sprawling España goalkeeper Luis Lopez.
After a scoreless first half, Dos Santos brought on forward Nathan Ordaz along with midfielders Timmy Tillman and 17-year-old Jude Terry (making his first-team debut for LAFC), with Bouanga, Son, and Eustáquio departing the match.
The second 45 minutes included several electric moments produced by Boudri, dribbling and penetrating along the left flank, and the 64th minute goal by Tafari, which he poked into the roof of the net at close range following an LAFC free kick. It was the centerback’s first goal in any competition since he scored for FC Dallas in an MLS regular-season game against DC United on August 24, 2024.
In the 87th minute, Black & Gold defender Kenny Nielsen was whistled for a penalty against Real España’s Nixon Cruz near the LAFC goal. Jhow Benavidez took the spot kick for the Honduran side but it was saved by a diving Thomas Hasal, who started in goal for LAFC in place of Hugo Lloris.
LAFC will square off against L.D. Alajuelense of Costa Rica, one of the most successful teams in Central America, in the first leg of the Round 16 on Tuesday, March 10, at BMO Stadium. The two teams reconvene for the second leg on Tuesday, March 17, at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica.
Kickoff times for both Round of 16 matches will be announced at a later date.
LAFC’s next match is an MLS regular season contest on Saturday, February 28, against the Houston Dynamo, at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV with local radio coverage on 710 AM ESPN LA, 980 AM La Mera Mera and K-Radio 1230 AM. Fans in Korea can watch on Coupang Play and SPOTV.
NOTES:
- Tuesday night’s win was LAFC’s 12th all-time in Concacaf play. The club has a record of 12W-8L-1D all-time in the competition, including 7W-2L-0D at home. In those nine home games, LAFC has kept seven clean sheets and outscored opponents 16-3.
- Bouanga and Tillman each appeared in his 16th Champions Cup game for LAFC on Tuesday night, extending their shared lead for the most Champions Cup appearances in club history.
- LAFC last faced L.D. Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 in 2023 (the last year the tournament was known as Concacaf Champions League). Bouanga scored his first-ever hat trick for LAFC in a 3-0, first-leg win in Costa Rica on March 9, 2023. Alajuelense achieved a 2-1 result in the second leg in LA a week later, with LAFC advancing 4-2 on aggregate. The Black & Gold eventually reached the 2023 Concacaf Final against Club León of Liga MX.
- Over the last two years, LAFC has gone 4W-0L-0D at home in Champions Cup play, beating the Colorado Rapids (1-0), Columbus Crew (3-0), and Inter Miami (1-0) at BMO Stadium last year, before Tuesday’s win over Real España.
