Saprissa qualifies for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup 

With a 2-1 victory in the Second Leg, Saprissa secured a spot in the Concacaf Champions Cup.

SAN JUAN DE TIBÁS, Costa Rica – The 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup continued on Wednesday with Deportivo Saprissa earning a 2-1 victory over CD Luis Ángel Firpo in the Second Leg of their Play-In Series at Estadio Deportivo Saprissa in San Juan de Tíbás, San José, Costa Rica.

The hosts opened the scoring in the 33’, Gerson Torres capitalizing on a defensive mistake following a delivery into the box and striking with a right-footed finish from close range.

Firpo equalized in the second half as Mauricio Cerritos found the back of the net from the penalty spot in the 70’, with the Salvadorian club momentarily taking the lead in the series on away goals.

Ariel Rodríguez restored the lead for Saprissa in the 90+5’, after a cross from the left flank from Mariano Torres was redirected by Gerson Torres at the far post, before Rodríguez tucked the ball away with a header from inside the penalty area.

With the result, Deportivo Saprissa won the Play-In series on aggregate to secure a spot in the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

Post-Match Stats: Deportivo Saprissa vs. L.A. Firpo

• Deportivo Saprissa are the only club to have advanced from the Play-In round in multiple editions of the Concacaf Central American Cup, maintaining a 100% qualification record in this stage after securing berths in the Concacaf Champions Cup in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
• Deportivo Saprissa recorded 47 touches inside the opposition penalty area against L.A. Firpo, the second-highest total by any team in a single match in the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup, behind only CS Cartaginés' 59 against Verdes FC. Saprissa also registered their highest expected goals (2.73 xG) and shots (25) totals in a single match in this year's competition.
• Ariel Rodríguez scored Deportivo Saprissa's third goal in the 90th minute or later in Concacaf Central American Cup history, finding the net at 94:30. It was the club's first such goal in a knockout-stage match. Rodríguez had previously scored in the 90th minute against Real Estelí FC during the 2024 Group Stage.
• Mauricio Cerritos scored his third goal of the 2026 Concacaf Central American Cup, marking L.A. Firpo's first-ever goal in the knockout stages of the competition. Cerritos also matched the club record for most goals in a single edition, joining Gustavo Souza and Styven Vásquez, who each scored three goals in 2024.
• Three of Gerson Torres' four career goals in the Concacaf Central American Cup have come in the knockout stages: the 2023 Semifinals, 2026 Quarterfinals and 2026 Play-In round.