Tigres UANL drew 0-0 with Forge FC in the first leg of the first round of the Concacaf Champions Cup 2026, played in freezing conditions in Canada. Despite dominating possession, the felines lacked finishing and missed several clear chances. The tie will be decided in the return leg on February 10 at Estadio Volcán.
Tigres UANL had a tough debut in the Concacaf Champions Cup 2026, drawing 0-0 against Forge FC at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Canada. The match was played in temperatures of -8 degrees Celsius, with a wind chill of -15, impacting the game's pace.
Guido Pizarro, the felines' coach, fielded most of his starters, benching Joaquim, Ángel Correa, and Osvaldo Rodríguez. Tigres took early control: in the 8th minute, Juan Pablo Vigón tried with a shot that went wide. However, Forge countered in the 17th with a shot from Benjamin Paton that Nahuel Guzmán deflected.
Throughout the first half, Tigres created several chances, but goalkeeper Maxime Bertaud shone. At the 34th, he saved a shot from André-Pierre Gignac after a team play; then, at the 43rd, he prevented a goal from Marcelo Flores on a corner. In the second half, Pizarro substituted Uriel Antuna and Gignac with Ozziel Herrera and Édgar Iván López to add dynamism.
At the 64th, Juan Brunetta scored, but VAR disallowed it for offside. Forge nearly scored in the 51st with a shot from Hoce Massunda, stopped by Guzmán, and at the 85th Rezart Rama headed just over. In the 90th, Gignac sent a cross that almost went in.
With this result, Tigres must win the return leg by any score, avoiding away goals as the first tiebreaker. The Monterrey side showed possession dominance but needs to improve efficiency to advance.
