Monterey Bay Football Club and Liga MX’s Club de Fútbol Pachuca Announce Landmark Partnership
SEASIDE, California (Monday, January 19, 2026) – Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay FC) and Liga MX’s Club de Fútbol Pachuca have announced today a new strategic partnership aimed at strengthening player development and enhancing scouting efforts. The partnership will provide unique opportunities for players at either club to develop in both Mexico and the United States. In celebration of the deal, an international friendly match between Monterey Bay FC and C.F. Pachuca will kick off at Cardinale Stadium on February 28, 2026.
“We are very proud to join forces with Grupo Pachuca, an institution globally recognized for its excellence in player development,” said Oliver Wyss, Chairman and Chief Soccer Officer of Monterey Bay FC. “This collaboration will allow us to offer our community a unique project that combines world-class training with local opportunities. Collaborating and learning from Pachuca’s innovative ways will improve the technical side of our club and set us up for long-term success both on the field and in the global transfer market. I could not think of a better way to start off the partnership than a first-ever international friendly game in Seaside, offering our fans a first look at the newly established synergy between our clubs.”
As part of the partnership, both clubs will work closely to identify top emerging talent, with a particular focus on bridging the gap for Mexican-American players and creating a clear development pathway into the professional ranks. Joint future scouting events are already in the plans, applying Pachuca’s renowned methodology to identify promising young players.
“This alliance represents a decisive step in bringing Pachuca’s development model to California,” said Humberto Gándara Muñoz, International Director of Grupo Pachuca. “With this project, we aim to create real opportunities for young talents in the region and consolidate a sporting and academic bridge between Mexico and the United States through Monterey Bay FC and the USL.”
The agreement offers exciting development opportunities for Monterey Bay FC players in Pachuca, allowing them to experience and train in an established Liga MX high-performance environment. In exchange, Monterey Bay will provide opportunities for Pachuca players and coaches to gain experience in the USL Championship. The partnership also provides Pachuca proper exposure in the U.S. market and most importantly a long-desired connection to the 831 through meaningful community engagement with Monterey Bay FC.
Tickets will be on sale soon for the international friendly between Monterey Bay FC and C.F. Pachuca Select at Cardinale Stadium on February 28, in partnership with Telemundo 23 KMUV. This match will benefit the club’s partner, the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex. Contact MBFC Ticketing Office for any questions regarding the match. The remainder of the Crisp-and-Kelp’s 2026 preseason schedule is set to be announced in the coming days.
Monterey Bay FC Communications – @MontereyBayFC
ABOUT CLUB PACHUCA
Founded in 1892, Club de Fútbol Pachuca is recognized as the oldest professional soccer team in Mexico and one of the country’s most successful institutions. Known as Los Tuzos, Pachuca has won multiple Liga MX championships, international titles such as the CONCACAF Champions League, and made history by becoming the first and only club in the world to win an official tournament from another confederation (CONMEBOL) with its Copa Sudamericana triumph in 2006.
Pachuca is regarded as the best player development academy in CONCACAF, thanks to its pioneering model anchored by the Universidad del Fútbol and a network of academies that nurture talent across Mexico and abroad.
In recent years, the club has been ranked as the 21st team worldwide in utilizing U-21 players in first division competition, reaffirming its commitment to youth and talent projection. Pachuca also stands 86th out of 3,903 clubs globally in player sales revenue from homegrown talent over the last nine years, consolidating its position as a leader in player development and export.
Pachuca is the only CONCACAF club to win the FIFA Derby of the Americas and the FIFA Challenger Cup, and most recently achieved the title of World Runner-Up at the 2024 Intercontinental Cup, underscoring its international prestige.
SEASIDE, California (Día, 19 de enero de 2026) – Monterey Bay Football Club (Monterey Bay FC) y el Club de Fútbol Pachuca de la Liga MX anunciaron hoy una nueva alianza estratégica destinada a fortalecer el desarrollo de jugadores y potenciar los esfuerzos de visoría. La alianza brindará oportunidades únicas para que futbolistas de ambos clubes se desarrollen tanto en México como en Estados Unidos. Para celebrar este acuerdo, se llevará a cabo un partido amistoso internacional entre Monterey Bay FC y C.F. Pachuca en el Cardinale Stadium el 28 de febrero de 2026.
“Estamos muy orgullosos de unir fuerzas con Grupo Pachuca, una institución reconocida mundialmente por su excelencia en el desarrollo de jugadores”, declaró Oliver Wyss, Presidente y Director de Fútbol de Monterey Bay FC. “Esta colaboración nos permitirá ofrecer a nuestra comunidad un proyecto único que combina entrenamiento de clase mundial con oportunidades locales. Colaborar y aprender de las formas innovadoras de Pachuca mejorará el aspecto técnico de nuestro club y nos preparará para un éxito a largo plazo tanto en la cancha como en el mercado global de transferencias. No podría imaginar una mejor manera de iniciar esta alianza que con el primer partido amistoso internacional en Seaside, ofreciendo a nuestros aficionados una primera muestra de la sinergia recién establecida entre nuestros clubes.”
Como parte de la alianza, ambos clubes trabajarán estrechamente para identificar a los mejores talentos emergentes, con un enfoque particular en cerrar la brecha para los jugadores mexicoamericanos y crear un camino claro hacia el profesionalismo. Ya están en planes futuros eventos conjuntos de visoría, aplicando la reconocida metodología de Pachuca para identificar jóvenes prometedores.
“Esta alianza representa un paso decisivo para acercar el modelo de formación de Pachuca a California”, afirmó Humberto Gándara Muñoz, Director Internacional de Grupo Pachuca. “Con este proyecto buscamos crear oportunidades reales para los jóvenes talentos de la región y consolidar un puente deportivo y académico entre México y Estados Unidos a través de Monterey Bay FC y la USL.”
El acuerdo ofrece emocionantes oportunidades de desarrollo para los jugadores de Monterey Bay FC en Pachuca, permitiéndoles experimentar y entrenar en un entorno de alto rendimiento de la Liga MX. A cambio, Monterey Bay brindará oportunidades para que jugadores y entrenadores de Pachuca adquieran experiencia en el USL Championship. La alianza también proporciona a Pachuca una adecuada exposición en el mercado estadounidense y, lo más importante, una conexión largamente deseada con el 831, mediante un compromiso comunitario significativo con Monterey Bay FC.
Las entradas saldrán próximamente a la venta para el partido amistoso internacional entre Monterey Bay FC y C.F. Pachuca Select, cual se disputará en el Estadio Cardinale el 28 de febrero, en colaboración con Telemundo 23 KMUV. Este partido se realizará a beneficio del Salinas Regional Soccer Complex, socio del club. Para cualquier pregunta sobre el partido, comuníquese con la oficina de boletos del MBFC. El resto del calendario de pretemporada de los Crisp-and-Kelp para el 2026 se anunciará en los próximos días.
