The Crew will play their quarterfinal match in the 2026 Leagues Cup in California.
Having clinched the third of four MLS berths in the knockout stage, the Crew will face No. 2 Club America at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, the home stadium of the LA Galaxy. The game will be on Aug. 26 at 10:45 p.m.
Columbus will head into that matchup after facing Nashville SC in MLS play on Aug. 22.
According to the Leagues Cup rules, the two highest-ranked eligible Liga MX clubs earned hosting privileges for the quarterfinals, with the matches played at a designated neutral site. Dignity Health Sports Park is around 1,500 miles from Club America's home stadium of Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and around 2,000 miles away from Columbus.
The Crew have recent history with Club America, losing 1-1 (5-4 in penalty kicks) to the Liga MX side in the 2024 Campeones Cup Final. After staying even 4-4 through the first five penalty shots, Club America defender Nestor Araujo hit the final kick to walk off with the cup victory.
One shot prior, many members of the Crew's roster and coaching staff thought Club America goalkeeper Luis Malagon jumped off his line to block Malte Amundsen's penalty kick. Officials, however, felt that Amundsen's shot, which hit the crossbar and went untouched by the keeper, was unimpacted by Malagon's movement.
The two teams played one other time in the 2023 Leagues Cup group stage, with the Crew winning 4-1.
In group play, the Crew beat Atlas FC and CF Pachuca in regulation and Pumas UNAM in penalty kicks to secure the third seed among MLS teams.
When do the Columbus Crew play Club America in the 2026 Leagues Cup?
Date: Aug. 26
Time: 10:45 p.m. ET
Location: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California
TV/Streaming: Apple TV
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Crew set for Leagues Cup game in California with Club America