HOUSTON (July 28, 2025) – Houston Dynamo FC kickoff Phase One of Leagues Cup 2025 versus Liga MX side Tigres UANL on Tuesday, July 29, at Shell Energy Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. CT, and fans can secure their tickets HERE.
The official Concacaf-sanctioned competition features a new and enhanced format, which will showcase interleague matches between MLS and Liga MX clubs through the quarterfinals. 36 clubs, including 18 clubs from the Liga MX and 18 clubs from MLS will participate, and the tournament will be played in two rounds: Phase One and the Knockout Rounds.
During Phase One, each club will play three matches against three opponents from the opposite league. Those results will earn points in a league-specific table against teams from their own league. The top four clubs from each of the MLS and Liga MX tables will advance to the quarterfinals. In Phase One, there are no draws, and games will go directly to a penalty shootout if they end in a tie. Teams are awarded points as follows:
- Regulation draw: 1 point for both teams
- Penalty shootout win: 2 points
- Regulation win: 3 points
The third edition of the tournament will again determine three qualifiers for the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, where the winner will represent the region at FIFA international club competitions.
The Dynamo reached the knockout stage in last year’s edition of Leagues Cup, winning their group over Real Salt Lake and Atlas FC before bowing out of the competition on a penalty shootout to Liga MX powerhouse Deportivo Toluca FC at Shell Energy Stadium. Two highlights from Leagues Cup 2024 were the debut of winger Lawrence Ennali and forward Ezequiel Ponce’s first-career goal for the Dynamo when he hammered a ball into the roof of the net versus Toluca.
In the inaugural addition of Leagues Cup in 2023, Houston reached the Round of 16, defeating Liga MX mainstays Club Pachuca and Santos Laguna at Shell Energy Stadium along the way.
Overall, Houston holds an 11-5-4 (WLD) regulation record versus Liga MX teams at Shell Energy Stadium.
Tuesday’s match will mark the third meeting between the Dynamo and Tigres, with their last encounter taking place in the 2019 Concacaf Champions League Quarterfinals, that Houston advanced to after defeating Guatemalan side CD Guastatoya 3-1 on aggregate in the Round of 16 behind a late brace from former Dynamo player Mauro Manotas.
Tigres, based in Monterrey and the official team of Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, currently sit third in the Liga MX Apertura 2025 standings after two matches. They opened the season with a 1-0 victory over FC Juárez, followed by a 4-3 win against Toluca on the road. In their last full campaign, Tigres finished fourth in Liga MX Clausura 2025 standings.
Houston’s previous MLS match versus the LA Galaxy scheduled for last Saturday was postponed due to pitch conditions and resulting player safety concerns created by inclement weather in Houston area. The match will now be played on Saturday, Sept. 6, with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium. Before the Galaxy match, the Dynamo earned a key point after playing the top-seeded Philadelphia Union to a 1-1 home draw, as midfielder Jack McGlynn found the back of the net for the third time this regular season. The match marked McGlynn’s first matchup versus his former side after Philadelphia traded the American to Houston in a historic cash-for-player trade ahead of the 2025 season.
The Club recently had two players represent Houston at MLS All-Star Week in Austin, Texas last week. Dynamo Academy and Dynamo 2 defender Daniel Barrett played 45 minutes and wore the captain armband for the West in the MLS NEXT All-Star Game, presented by Allstate, at Parmer Field on Monday night, while Dynamo 2 goalkeeper Pedro Cruz earned the 2025 Goalie Wars title on Tuesday night during the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge, presented by AT&T, at Q2 Stadium.
In the remaining Phase One matches, the Dynamo host Liga MX’s sides Mazatlán F.C. on Friday, Aug. 1, and C.F. Pachuca on Tuesday, Aug. 5. Both kickoffs are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. CT at Shell Energy Stadium and fans can secure their tickets HERE.