On Valentine’s Day, the Mexican Football League Serie A ushered in a non-romantic El Clasico. There is no love lost between Chivas Regal of Guadalajara and Club America of Mexico City, and when the final whistle blew, Chivas Regal supporters at Akron Stadium had reason to celebrate. Elsewhere in the Americas, the Argentinian League and BetPlay Dimayor League continue their early season fixtures, while the busy CONCACAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores loom in midweek. As Major League Soccer (MLS) and leagues across the region get underway in the coming days, here are the top stories from North and South American soccer.

Chivas remain perfect in El Clasico win over USA

Chivas Guadalajara continue to sweep away all challengers in Liga MX, with their first real test coming against struggling Club America in El Clasico at home. Hormiga Gonzalez’s first-half goal sealed the 1-0 win and it showed. The young striker is quickly preparing himself to join the Ireland squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Chivas could have extended their lead, taking 16 shots and constantly testing Aguilas goalkeeper Ángel Maragon. The U.S.’s “new look” offense failed again, finishing with just eight shots on goal and no points. New Brazilian players Rafael Vega and Lima came on the scene in the second half, with Victor Davila, Lal Zuniga and Henry Martin taking turns in attacking roles. Martin, 33, has not scored since May. By comparison, Gonzalez has scored five goals this season, while Chivas sits with a perfect 6-0-0 record.

The rest of February will provide a major yardstick. Chivas will end the month away from home against second-placed Cruz Azul and fourth-placed defending champion Toluca. Toluca remains undefeated despite a long injury list and Cruz Azul improved to 4-1-1 after former Tigers striker Nicolas Ibañas scored in a 2-1 home win over the Tigers. Portuguese star Paulinho scored consecutive goals for Toluca, laying the foundation for the crucial game.

Puma regroups in Liga MX after CONCACAF withdraws

Pumas UNAM’s exit from the CONCACAF Champions League at the hands of Santiago FC was a huge disappointment, but the domestic side continues to do well under Efraín Juárez. A come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Puebla marked their latest victory in the league.

Pumas remain unbeaten in Liga MX, driven by an aggressive attack led by Juninho Vieira. The 29-year-old Brazilian signed from Flamengo for $5 million and has been at the heart of the team’s strong start. The Cougars are currently 3-3-0, ranked third, with a goal difference of +6. The schedule ends in February with a home match against Tijuana Solos at Monterrey Laados.

Di Maria delivers Golazo’s birthday at Rosario Central

Angel Di María celebrated his 38th birthday on February 14 with a pure classic moment, scoring a goal against Barracas on Sunday to help Rosario Central improve to 2-2-1 on the season. Returning to his hometown club, Di Mara continues to age like a fine wine in the Argentinian league.

In just 22 games for Rosario Central, Di Maria has scored 10 goals and provided 4 assists, further reinforcing the idea that “class is eternal.”

Meanwhile, the woes of Argentina’s two biggest clubs continue. River Plate and Boca Juniors continue to underperform, with the pressure on both managers increasing. Boca were held to a draw by Platens, with TyC Sports’ headline reading “Boca loses.” Edison Cavani, who shares the same birthday as Di Maria, missed a clear scoring chance for Boca. The 39-year-old former Uruguay striker appears to be nearing the end of his career.

MLS season kicks off on February 21st

With just days left until the start of the MLS 2026 season, the league continues to position itself as a destination for top talent in the Americas. Notable new signings include Uruguayan winger Facundo Torres joining Austin FC from Palmeiras (formerly Orlando City), German international Bertrame joining Inter Miami, and Canadian international Stephane Eustaquio joining fellow Canadian Jacob Schaefferberger on loan at Los Angeles FC.

Liga MX remains a major talent pipeline. Mateusz Bogus joined the Houston Dynamo from Cross Azul, Juan Manuel Sanabria moved from Atlético San Luis to Real Salt Lake, and Pumas winger Jorge Rubalcaba signed with the New York Red Bulls.

Atlanta United, which won its only MLS title under former Mexico national team coach Tata Martino, returns this season. As part of a youth-focused rebuilding plan, Atalanta has brought in young Argentinian defender Tom Jacobs from Necaxa.

Opening week highlights include Cincinnati hosting Atlanta, Austin hosting James Rodriguez and Minnesota United, Portland hosting Columbus, and the week’s highlight: defending champion Inter Miami traveling to Los Angeles to take on LAFC. It’s a critical season for Major League Soccer (MLS), with the United States and Canada hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer and the league looking to capitalize on the energy generated by the event.

Midweek focus: CONCACAF Champions League and Copa Libertadores

MLS clubs face a tough test in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League. LAFC travels to San Pedro Sula, Honduras to face Real Madrid, Nashville heads north to frigid Canada to face Atlético Ottawa, and the LA Galaxy travels to Panama to face Atlético San Miguelito. The Vancouver Whitecaps visit Cartagines, Costa Rica, the Philadelphia Union travels to Trinidad and Tobago to face the Defense Force, and FC Cincinnati travels to the Dominican Republic to face O&M.

In South America, the second phase of qualifying for the Copa Libertadores takes center stage. The Uruguayan youth team faced the Paraguayan Guaraní team, while the Colombian Tolima Sporting team and the Medellín Independiente team faced the Venezuelan Tachira team and the Uruguay Liverpool team respectively. O’Higgins (Chile) takes on Bahia (Brazil), Botafogo (Brazil) plays Nacional de Portosa (Bolivia), Barcelona SC (Ecuador) takes on Argentinos Juniors, 2 de Mayo (Paraguay) looks to maintain momentum against another Peruvian team, Atlético de Cristal, and Carabobo (Venezuela) hosts Huachipato (Chile).

Unexpected early leader in Liga BetPlay Dimayor

The early Liga BetPlay Dimayor table leaders are in stark contrast. Deportivo Pasto is a small budget provincial club, tied for first place with Inter de Bogotá. Inter de Bogotá, the rebranded, foreign-backed successor to La Equidad, now shares top spot in its first Apertura event in its new capacity.

Inter Bogota’s early standouts include Honduran teenager Derek Moncada, who has scored four goals, and 22-year-old midfielder Kevin Parra, on loan from Atlético Nacional.

Elsewhere, Bogotá’s traditional powerhouses Millonarios and Santa Fe have stumbled out of the gate, in part because the El Cambín match was called off due to poor ground conditions.

Atlético Nacional again failed to win on their trip to Cali, losing to Deportivo Cali. América Cali and Cali Sporting Club join Tolima and Atlético Bucaramanga for a playoff spot – two clubs that have built a reputation for consistency in recent seasons.

Main photo credit: Smartframe Images