A Diber Cambindo header made all the difference for Club León.
The forward nodded in a set piece in the 80th minute of the Leagues Cup third-place game against Club América. It was the only goal of a 1-0 León victory over Las Aguilas and a critical one for León.
The victory booked the team a place in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.
América already had a place in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup, and had the Mexico City side won the match, Club Tijuana would have taken the remaining place as the Mexican club with the best combined finish between the Apertura and Cluausura short tournaments.
¡Gol de la Fiera! Diber Cambindo rompe el cero y pone a @clubleonfc al frente en el duelo por el tercer puesto 🦁 El colombiano llegó a tres anotaciones en #LeaguesCup2026
⚽️ Live on @AppleTV 📺 https://t.co/yMFvjebDMN pic.twitter.com/UEoMl4q35n
— Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) September 6, 2026
Instead, León will return to the continental club championship for the first time since winning the competition in 2023. That achievement typically comes with a ticket to the FIFA Club World Cup, but La Fiera were denied entry to the 2025 tournament because they share ownership with Pachuca, which also qualified, and ownership preferred for Tuzos to take part.
Which teams qualified for 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup?
León becomes the ninth Liga MX team to qualify for the 2027 CCC, with all three of the qualifiers from Leagues Cup coming from Mexico.
Toluca, Tigres, Cruz Azul and Pumas all reached the tournament by making the Liga MX final - Toluca and Tigres in the Apertura that runs from the summer to the winter and Cruz Azul and Pumas after contesting the Clausura title, the season that runs from winter to spring. Toluca also could book a bye past the first round by winning Leagues Cup.
Chivas, Club América and Pachuca are the next-best teams in the aggregate table and qualify thanks to their combined Apertura and Clausura points totals.
Five MLS teams will qualify through league play, and one will book a place by winning the U.S. Open Cup.
The winner of the Canadian Championship and two teams from the Canadian Premier League also will qualify through the league's playoffs and the regular season.
There also will be six Central American teams in the competition, qualifying through the Copa Centroamericana. That tournament is down to the quarterfinals, meaning six of the eight teams remaining: Honduras' Olimpia, Motagua and Marathón, Costa Rica's Saprissa, Cartagines, Alajuelense, and El Salvador's Luis Angel Firpo and Alianza.
Three teams from the Caribbean will qualify through the Caribbean Cup. That tournament is at an earlier stage, with the semifinals set to take place in mid-October.
The Concacaf Champions Cup traditionally has been dominated by Mexican clubs, with Liga MX teams having won 20 of the last 21 editions of the competition. Toluca is the reigning champion after beating Tigres in the 2026 final in a shootout.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup field looks like after Leon beats Club America
