Call it the cold open.
The 61st edition of the Concacaf Champions Cup kicks off amid a polar vortex in Hamilton, Ont.
On Tuesday night (7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT on OneSoccer), in the competition's opening match, Forge FC host Tigres UANL at Hamilton Stadium in the first leg of their home-and-away round one matchup. Away goals are once again in effect.
Frigid conditions are expected to be close to -15 Celsius at kick-off, which would be among the coldest matches in the history of Concacaf competition.
It is the fourth consecutive time that Forge have drawn a Liga MX giant in the Champions Cup, having previously faced Cruz Azul (2022), Chivas Guadalajara (2024) and CF Monterrey (2025). They are still searching for their first win in the competition.
Like those previous foes, Tigres bring with them an incredibly strong history of success both domestically and in the Champions Cup. The 2020 Concacaf champions, they have also reached the final three other times. In Liga MX, they are coming off an appearance in the Apertura final at the end of 2025, where they lost in a dramatic 12 rounds of penalties.
"When you look at it, they're probably the best team in the last 10 years in Liga MX," Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis told the media on Monday. "But here's the thing about global football, no team is undefeated, so every team has their strengths, every team has their weaknesses."
Tigres feature a star-studded lineup, including 2024 World Cup winner Angel Correa, French international André-Pierre Gignac, and Mexican international stars like Diego Lainez.
Of particular note to Canadian supporters will be Marcelo Flores, the Georgetown-born attacker who is off to a flying start to the Liga MX Clausura with three goals already, including one this past weekend. Recent reports suggest he will be filing a one-time switch to join the Canadian men's national team in advance of this summer's World Cup.
How many of those names are in the starting lineup remains to be seen, however. Tigres just played a gruelling match away to León on Saturday, before making the trek north. Through four matches in the Clausura, Tigres have stuck with a fairly consistent starting eleven under manager Guido Pizarro.
The cold weather may also give Tigres pause when risking some of their starters. Forge know they have to use these conditions to their advantage, but aren't under any illusions that they will be some sort of great equalizer.
"The weather, players get over it after 15-20 minutes, it's normal," said Smyrniotis. "The body, the adrenaline goes...I think when you look at an experienced team like those that we've played from Liga MX, I don't think it's much of an issue for them."
From a Forge availability standpoint, they should have a full-strength squad for Tuesday's match, including new signings, central defender/midfielder Antoine Batisse, and goalkeeper Dimitry Bertaud. One big blow, however, is that attacker Nana Ampomah, who finished third in the CPL's Players' Player of the Year voting last year, is unavailable due to visa issues.
Can Forge freeze out Tigres at Hamilton Stadium, or will the Mexican club's quality rise above the temperature? Bundle up, the tournament is due for quite the 2026 debut.
PROJECTED STARTING XIs
Forge FC: Koleilat; Rama, Nimick, Krutzen, Jevremović; Batisse, Borges, Bekker; Babouli, Massunda, Wright
Tigres UANL: Carerra; Garza, J.Sánchez, Henrique, O. Rodríguez; Lainez, Gorriarán, Zwarg, Flores; I. López, Gignac
KEY QUOTES
“Our support has always been great at these games, and we want to keep on getting bigger, so, it's a little bit of Canadian cold, but let's get more people out here. The more, the better for us, because our players feed off the energy of this crowd. And we take pride in playing in these big matches at Hamilton Stadium.” — Forge FC head coach Bobby Smyrniotis
“I think in games like this, tactics are very important. When you're playing against great players, you need to outthink them tactically. We've gone over a lot of stuff with coach. We've got a plan...and hopefully we can execute the tactical plan on the field and it ends in a good result. ” — Forge FC defender Dan Nimick
