The 2026 is officially underway for LAFC. The black & gold will once again start the season with Concacaf Champions Cup action, as the squad hit the road to take on Honduran side, Real España. Not only is this the start of another campaign, but it is the start of a new era as Marc Dos Santos will make his LA Head Coach debut, with all eyes eagerly awaiting the first lineup he puts out. LAFC will be looking to start fast in 2026, setting the tone for the season with a very convincing performance tonight.
Matchday: #RESvLAFC
⏰ 7:00 PM PST
🖥️ FS2 & TUDN
🎧 @espnlosangeles & K-Radio 1230 pic.twitter.com/Q1PwjGD8pq— LAFC (@LAFC) February 17, 2026
For those unaware, Real España are a Honduran club that is currently playing in top division football in Honduras in Liga Nacional. They come into this match with a bit of a leg up on LAFC, as they are currently six matches into their season, having started Clausura in late January. They also come into this match riding some really good form, currently unbeaten in their opening six matches with four wins and two draws. What’s more, in their three matches at home this season, they have scored two goals in each. They will undoubtedly be looking to keep that form going, as well as finding the back of the net often to take advantage of having the first leg of this tie at home, against a team that will be looking to settle into things as they shake off preseason legs.
LAFC come into this match with one thing on their mind, winning. We talked almost ad nauseam about the road form for the team last season, and now they will have a chance to start with a fresh canvas. The good thing is, the team will have something to start this season that they didn’t have last year, Sonny. After his blazing start to MLS life upon his arrival in the middle of the season, Son now has an entire offseason under his belt with LAFC, and you can bet he and Denis Bouanga are looking to get the goal scoring started from match day one. The biggest question coming into this match for Los Angeles will be, what does this team look like under Dos Santos? We all know the focal point of attack will be Son and Bouanga, but outside of that, it will be interesting to see how the team as a whole look as they get set for a tricky road trip to start the season.
How To Watch
Leg one of the Concacaf Champions Cup against Real España is set for kickoff at 7:00pm PST from Estadio Francisco Morazán in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The match will be broadcast live and can be seen on TUDN and FS2, as well as available for streaming on ConcacafGO, One Soccer (Canada) and Coupang Play (Korea). You can also listen to the live broadcast via radio on 710AM ESPN, 980 AM La Mera Mera (Spanish), and KYPA 1230 AM (Korean).
Thoughts on the first match of the season? Drop us a comment below!