New York City FC will face Los Angeles FC as part of the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational at Empire Polo Club on Sunday, February 8. This match is a part of both teams’ pre-season fixtures as they prepare for the 2026 MLS season, which starts later this month.
LAFC finished third on the Western Conference table in 2025 with 60 points in 34 MLS games. They went deep into the postseason, but ended their run with a loss against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference Semifinals in November 2025.
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New York City FC, on the other hand, finished fifth on the Eastern Conference table in 2025 with 56 points in 34 MLS games. They, too, went deep into the postseason but ultimately lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Lionel Messi‘s Inter Miami.
LAFC vs. New York City FC Head-to-Head Stats & Predictions
Timothy Tillman battles for the ball with Mitja Ileni during a game between New York City FC and Los Angeles FC at BMO Stadium Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images
(Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Since 2018, LAFC and NYCFC have met 4 times. The first two matchups resulted in draws. The Pegions won the third matchup against LAFC in May 2021. When both teams faced each other again in March 2025, the Black and Gold had the last laugh this time.
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The Boys in Blue have played two preseason games so far. They started off with a 2-2 draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies and went on to win their second match, 2-0, against Austin FC last weekend.
On the other hand, the Black and Gold have played four preseason games so far. They started off their training camp against Bayern Munich’s U23 side behind closed doors. Then, LAFC cruised to a 1-0 win against USL Championship side Orange County SC. Marc Dos Santos’ men then faced a 2-2 draw against Western Conference rival Portland Timbers. Last weekend, Hugo Lloris and his team won 3-0 against another Western Conference rival, the San Jose Earthquakes.
Although both teams have had dominant preseason runs so far, LAFC might have the edge over NYCFC in today’s fixture, having shown strong performances against two of their division rivals recently. However, the Pidgeons will give a tough battle and try to win today’s game before moving on to their final two preseason fixtures against Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes.
How & Where to Watch LAFC vs. NYCFC on TV
LAFC will face NYCFC as part of the 2026 Coachella Valley Invitational at the Empire Polo Club. The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm EST (9:30 am GMT) and will be live broadcast on MyNetwork TV. Fans can also stream the match live on both teams’ YouTube channels
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Kevin O’Toole kicks the ball during a game between New York City FC and Los Angeles FC at BMO StadiumPhoto by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images
(Photo by Melinda Meijer/ISI Photos/Getty Images)Potential Lineups for LAFC vs. NYCFC
LAFC
Defender: Ryan Porteous, Eddie Segura, Sergi Palencia, Nathan Ordaz
Midfielder: Mark Delgado, Igor Jesus, Timothy Tillman
Forward: Heung-Min Son, Dénis Bouanga, Jacob Shaffelburg
NYCFC
Goalkeeper: Tomás Romero
Defender: Strahinja Tanasijević, Raul Gustavo, Tayvon Gray, Kevin O’Toole
Midfielder: Maxi Moralez, Nicolás Fernández, Aiden O’Neill
Forward: Talles Magno, Agustín Ojeda, Alonso Martínez
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Feb 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Soccer section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.