Toluca has been crowned Leagues Cup champions after defeating Monterrey in the competition’s first ever all-Liga MX final. This now makes six titles for the Diablos Rojos and head coach Antonio Mohamed. After this final, Toluca has made a strong case to be considered a ‘grande’ in Liga MX.
Just seconds into the game and there was controversy. A long ball was played into Toluca’s defensive half where both Federico Pereira and Lucas Ocampos both jumped up for the ball when Pereira elbowed Ocampos in the back
of the head. The referee did not hesitate and gave the defender a yellow card 10 seconds into the game. There was even a possibility that the play could have been sent to VAR as plays just like this have gone to VAR and the player has received a red card. This play was not looked at further and it seemed as though Toluca was saved.
Then a few minutes later Toluca opened the score thanks to a goal by Alexis Vega. It all started thanks to Federico Viñas who made his way into the box on the left side. He passed the ball to Helinho who gave it right back to him where Viñas took a shot towards the net but it hit the far post. The rebound went to Orbelin Pineda who held onto the ball instead of getting rid of it. That’s when Vega also followed the rebound and kicked it out from under Pineda into the back of the net to go up 1-0 in the fourth minute.
Monterrey attempted to respond immediately but they were unable to as Toluca was well-positioned in their box. The Rayados attempted to make their way back into the game but could not find the back of the net even with all of their chances. One big chance came in the 39th minute when Jesus Gallardo committed a foul from a dangerous distance. Monterrey had a fabricated play but once again Pineda lost the ball and turned it over. He was lucky the loss didn’t end in a goal but once again the midfielder made a mistake. They had another dangerous chance in the last minutes of the half when a cross came into the box where Hugo Cuypers was waiting to strike the ball into the back of the net but Everardo Lopez was there to block the ball. With all the failed chances Monterrey was more than happy for halftime.
The start of the second half began with a lot of intensity as the first half. The Rayados had multiple attempts to equalize the match but they were unable to convert any of them. Still, the hunger for a goal was visible and if they kept up their high intensity then the goal was bound to come. Unfortunately that did not happen as they became stagnant after 1o minutes. That was when the game changed as Toluca took control of the match. With how the game was progressing in Toluca’s favor it seemed as if Monterrey was going to be making changes soon as they were in dire need of a spark. Instead, it was Mohamed who made the first substitutions of the game in the 61st minute. His changes were simply position for position but were needed as it was evident the team needed fresh legs in those positions. These subs paid off just minutes later as Toluca doubled their lead. The Rayados were up high looking for a way into their opponents’ box but as Oliver Torres attempted to break in he was dispossessed as Franco Romero took the ball away and made his way up the field towards the box. Romero then sent the ball into the box where Viñas beat his defender and shot towards the net as Andrade hit the ball with his outstretched hand and Helinho was there to push it into the back of the net to double the lead. Monterrey had too many players up front so when Toluca went on the counter there was nothing they could do.
It was after this goal that Matias Almeyda finally decided to make his first substitutions when he should have made them earlier. Then minutes later the Diablos Rojos were close to adding another goal after a defensive mistake from the Rayados. Again, Monterrey were all the way up high when Toluca hit them with a counter. Jorge Diaz found himself unmarked as he ran towards the net and got on the end of a long ball. Both Monterrey defenders were too busy looking elsewhere as Diaz out ran them and that forced Andrade to come out of his box and tackle Diaz to the ground but not before the player released the ball headed towards an empty net. Unfortunately for them the ball hit the post and was immediately kicked out of danger as Monterrey was saved. Even though they were down two goals the Rayados continued to make their way forward but they were unable to convert any of their chances. As the game headed into the 80th minute it was evident they were frustrated at not being able to get a goal as they struggled to break down Toluca’s defense who switched to a five-back. While they did settle down defensively, Toluca continued to look for a third goal even though they were inching closer and closer to another trophy. No matter what they did it was not enough as the game drew to a close and Monterrey failed to win yet another championship title.
With this win, Toluca have now won six trophies in two years with the help of Antonio Mohamed. The coach completely turned this team around in so little time and proved that the Diablo Rojos are a ‘grande.’ Meanwhile Monterrey and Matias Almeyda will have a lot to work on as they continue to fall over themselves time after time. It has been years since Monterrey saw their last title and with how the team currently looks, it might be even longer before they can raise another trophy. So, Mexico fans, what did you think of the 2026 edition of the Leagues Cup?
