Club America and CD Guadalajara to meet in October at the Rose Bowl

LOS ANGELES – Mexico's biggest sports rivalry is headed to the Rose Bowl.

Club América and Club Deportivo Guadalajara will face off in an international friendly at the Rose Bowl on Sunday, Oct. 15. It will be the first encounter between the two in the Los Angeles area after drawing upwards of 60,000 fans at the LA Coliseum in 2018.

This meeting will take place during the October FIFA international window, meaning players called up to their respective national teams will not be able to participate — and six days before MLS Decision Day on Oct. 21. 

The two rivals will have faced each other during the Liga MX Apertura 2023 regular season on Sept. 16 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.

This will be the third soccer match hosted this year at "America’s Stadium." MLS clubs LA Galaxy and LAFC will play its rescheduled El Tráfico encounter on the 4th of July while European powers Real Madrid and A.C. Milan will meet on July 23 as part of the 2023 Soccer Champions Tour. 

Who is playing in "El Clásico de México"?

Club America is the all-time leader in Mexico with 13 Liga MX titles. Historically known as a "big money" club that is either loved or hated, they are the Mexican version of the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees. Mexican national team forward Henry Martin leads the frontline and is coming off winning the Golden Boot during the Clausura 2023 season. U.S. men's national team forward Alejandro Zendejas is also part of the attack alongside two former league Best XI selections in Jonathan Rodríguez, Diego Valdés and Álvaro Fidalgo. Two past MLS players with LA ties are also on the squad as former Galaxy member Jonathan dos Santos and ex-LAFC man Brian Rodríguez will likely be back to a city they called home. Las Águilas are in their first year under Brazilian coach André Jardine.

Club Deportivo Guadalajara, commonly known as Chivas, is the second-most winner in Liga MX with 12 championships. Led by former Chicago Fire coach Veljko Paunović, the team is coming off a runners-up finish after losing to Tigres UANL in the Clausura 2023 final. Priding itself in fielding an all-Mexican squad, the club has relied on homegrown players like current academy alumni Víctor "Pocho" Guzmán and Fernando "Nene" Beltrán. Mexican national team players Alexis Vega and Roberto Alvarado are among the notable players along with defenders Alan Mozo, Antonio Briseño and Hiram Mier. Former Nashville SC and Charlotte FC forward Daniel Ríos, also an academy product, is on the roster.

What is the history of Club America vs. Chivas?

Dating back to the mid-1900s, Club America and Chivas have faced each other in 249 official encounters. The two will have passed the 250th encounter when they meet at the Rose Bowl.

The two most recently met in the semifinals of the latest Liga MX playoffs with Chivas taking the series over America. This will be the fifth consecutive year that the two meet in a friendly in the United States.

When are tickets available?

Fans will be able to register for tickets to Club America vs. Chivas, starting on June 27, at www.elclasicodemexico.com. A pre-sale will take place on July 6.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 7 on axs.com and ticketon.com.

What other soccer games has the Rose Bowl hosted?

The Rose Bowl has seen some of the biggest soccer matches in the United States and has hosted the men’s FIFA World Cup Final (1994) and women’s FIFA World Cup (1999). It has also hosted several Concacaf Gold Cup matches and international friendlies. In MLS, the LA Galaxy called the Rose Bowl home for its first years before moving to Dignity Health Sports Park.