Philadelphia Union found out on Tuesday night that they will face Defence Force F.C. in Round One of the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Boys in Blue were drawn into the A8 position using a double-blind system and four pots. The two sides are slated to face off in February as the Union make their fourth appearance in the Concacaf tournament after earning their spot as the 2025 MLS Supporters' Shield Winner.
Currently ranked 11th out of 187 teams in the Concacaf Club Ranking Index, the Union earned their fourth-ever qualification to the 61st edition of the Champions Cup after clinching their second Supporters’ Shield in club history. Philadelphia, which has reached the semifinals of the tournament twice (2020 and 2022), is one of nine MLS clubs set to compete in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, the 27-team continental tournament held from February through May 2026.
Defence Force FC earned the 27th and final 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup berth on December 3rd, as the Third Place Winner in the Caribbean Cup. Comprised of recruits of the Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force, the team is the island's most successful team having won 20 national championships. Defence Force FC is the island's only team to have ever won a Concacaf club title, having won in 1978 and as part of their historic treble in 1985.
The dates for the Union's two legs of Round One will be announced by the confederation in the near future with Subaru Park hosting the second leg of Round One.
