Toluca edged Tigres 6-5 in a penalty shootout to win the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup final in an all-Mexican affair at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca.
The two sides ended scoreless after 90 minutes and then exchanged goals in extra time before Toluca goalkeeper Luis Garcia clinched the triumph in the seventh round of spot kicks with a save from Juanjo Purata.
It also means that Antonio Mohamed's men have now qualified for both the FIFA Intercontinental Cup 2025™ and the FIFA Club World Cup 2029™.
A cagey start between the two sides gave way to Toluca pushing Tigres back into their own half, as Nahuel Guzman had to be alert to save a Nicolas Castro right-footed effort.
The chances started coming more often in the second half, beginning with an Angel Correa attempt for Tigres that squirted wide. It remained scoreless as time ticked away, with Tigres losing attacker Marcelo Flores, who this week was named to roster, to an injury.
Legendary Tigres striker Andre-Pierre Gignac was summoned from the bench and almost immediately became the hero when a blocked Romulo header fell right to Gignac on the doorstep, only for Garcia to save again. No goals could be found in the 90 minutes, so to extra time they went. Tigres remained on the front foot and somehow Garcia got the slightest of touches to push wide a Correa shot.
Finally, a goal came with Jorge Diaz getting the job done with an excellent right-footed finish to beat Guzman. But Tigres had an answer as Joaquim Henrique steered home a header late in the extra session to send the teams to penalties.
Toluca had a chance to win it with their fifth attempt, only to see Guzman deny Franco Romero. However, the hosts converted their next two and Garcia would make the decisive stop to earn Toluca their third Concacaf crown and first since 2003.
Sources: FIFA Official
