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Canada, Pumas attacker Santiago López excited for Concacaf Champions Cup clash vs. Cavalry: ‘It’ll be fun’

On a humid night in August 2010, a five-year-old Santiago López and his father sat in the stands at BMO Field to watch Toronto FC take on Cruz Azul in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

Born in Morelia, Mexico, López and his family had moved to Oakville, Ont. a year prior for his parents’ work. So, the chance to see a club from the country of his birth take on a team from his new home city was a cherished childhood memory.

“I don’t remember who won,” López told CanPL.ca. “To be honest I was too young, but I remember being excited for a Mexican club to visit Canada and play against my home city’s team. That’s the only thing I remember, just being excited to be there.”

It was Toronto FC who claimed victory that night, 2-1 courtesy of the only goal former Atlético Ottawa manager Mista ever scored for the Reds, and some heroics from goalkeeper Jon Conway. But it was the experience that lives on in López’s mind.

Fifteen years later, López, now 19, is set to return to Canada as a member of Pumas UNAM for the first leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup clash with Canadian Premier League club Cavalry FC on Thursday, Feb 6. For a player who has a lot of love for both countries, this will be a special moment.

“The first thing I thought [about] was going to the west side of Canada, which I have never been to, so I think that’s going to be exciting,” said López. “[When I played] in the U-20s there were teammates that played in the CPL, and obviously in the national team there’s players that played previously in the CPL, but I’ve never played against a CPL team, so that’s going to be exciting as well. I’ve heard good things about the league.”

Santiago López playing for Canada U-20 (Photo: Canada Soccer)

López has been with Pumas since 2019, when he signed for the club’s academy team, having moved back to Mexico in 2015 following six years in Canada. A year ago, he made his professional debut with the club, and has since accumulated two other league appearances for the storied team, mostly recently coming off the bench in a 3-2 loss to Benjamín Mora’s Querétaro on Sunday, Jan. 19.

Winners of seven Mexican titles, and three Concacaf Champions Cups, Pumas are a globally renowned club. Their unique kits, with a massive silhouette of a jungle cat’s face adorning the front, are worn all over the world, so playing for such a storied club has been a privilege for López.

“It’s really special,” he says. “It’s hard, it’s a lot of pressure from the fans, from everywhere. It’s a big club in Mexico, but every minute you play with them, you learn something new. You grow so much just by being on the field and playing with that environment, with those teammates and with everything that surrounds Pumas.”

He knows that given Pumas’ history, the fact that they are currently in competition, and the calibre of talent they have in a squad full of players with European and international experience, the Liga MX side will be the heavy favourites against Cavalry.

“It’s going to be their first official match of the season, but they’re going to be hungry, they’re going to want it, the weather, everything matters, no?” said López. “And they’re a really physical team, so it’s going to be hard. They have a couple of really good players that I watched the final they played. I was watching the nine [Tobias Warschewski], and he’s really, really good.”

López knows the talent level of the Canadian Premier League firsthand, having played with the likes of Khadim Kane, Christian Greco-Taylor and James Cameron with the Canadian youth national team at the 2024 Concacaf U-20 Championship.

López was undoubtedly the star man on that squad, tying for the tournament lead in goals with three. Canada suffered a disappointing extra-time loss to Panama in the quarter-finals, but López couldn’t help but be impressed by what he saw from the CPL players on the team.

“You can see from the style of play that they were more professional, more experienced,” said López.

One player that particularly left an impression on him was Cameron.

“He’s really, really physical and really strong,” said López. “I remember being in training I didn’t want to get close to him because of how strong and how hard he would hit you. I was like, ‘You’re not getting close to me.’ I would try to stay away from him.”

López’s performances with the youth national team caught the attention of senior manager Jesse Marsch, who called López into camp for a friendly against Panama at BMO Field in October — a homecoming of sorts. López did not appear in that match, a 2-1 victory for Canada, but his experiences training with the national team’s elite group of attackers were invaluable.

“From one day seeing them on the TV or in FIFA to see them, like, just come with their bags to the hotel is surreal, no?” said López. “And obviously you can tell why they play at that level. Alphonso’s speed and the way he’s able to dribble and beat players. And then Jonathan [David], he’s so smart. He’s always in the space he needs to be. I can talk about [Stephen] Eustáquio or Cyle Larin, you recognize why they play at that level. But on the other side, you take all that you can and [feel] like, I’m ready to be able to compete against them.”

Santiago López training with the Canadian senior national team. (Photo: Canada Soccer)

Having represented both Canada and Mexico at the youth level, López could still play for either at the senior level. He has an interesting decision to make, especially with potential opportunities created by the two countries co-hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup along with the United States. But right now, that isn’t his main focus.

“I don’t like to get ahead of myself, because like a year ago if you would have told me I would have had a chance to maybe get into the World Cup roster, I would have said ‘you’re crazy,’ because I was playing with the U-18s a year ago,” said López. “So I just try to get better each day and then see where football takes me, because it’s crazy how much a couple of games can change your life.”

He says this World Cup will be a monumental moment for the sport in both countries, particularly Canada. Compared to the passion of a soccer-obsessed Mexico, he says Canada remains more known for sports like hockey and American (or rather, Canadian) football. But that reputation is rapidly changing, and this World Cup will only accelerate that growth.

“Knowing how much Canada has actually grown in the last four, five years, it’s insane,” said López. “I don’t think people recognize that enough, that 15 years ago, if you look at the roster, to the roster now, it’s crazy how much it’s grown.”

And games like next Thursday’s between Cavalry FC and Pumas in the Concacaf Champions Cup will only further Canada’s reputation internationally, even if he’s desperate to make sure his club come out on the winning side.

“I think that playing those games is going to show people here in Mexico, it’s a good league, it’s a competitive league, so it’ll be fun,” he says.


The 2025 Concacaf Champions Cup begins Tuesday. Feb. 4. Canadian Premier League clubs Forge FC and Cavalry FC will be taking on Mexican sides CF Monterrey and Pumas UNAM, respectively, with their matchups beginning Feb. 5 and 6.

Canadian viewers can watch the tournament live on OneSoccer. For more information on the Concacaf Champions Cup, click here, and for further coverage of the tournament at CanPL.ca, click here.