Austin “Speaks Albanian” in the Leagues Cup as Myrto Uzuni Destroys Puebla with a Historic Hat Trick

Austin FC “spoke Albanian” at Q2 Stadium, where Myrto Uzuni produced one of the finest performances of his career in the United States.

The Albanian international scored all three goals in Austin FC’s 3–0 victory over Club Puebla in the opening phase of the 2026 Leagues Cup.

Uzuni found the net in the 4th, 7th and 34th minutes, completing his hat trick inside the opening 34 minutes. The Albanian forward effectively decided the match before halftime, while Austin FC managed its advantage after the break to secure a second consecutive victory in the tournament.

An Extraordinary Start from Uzuni

The match could not have started any better for the home side. Austin FC applied pressure from the opening minutes, and Uzuni needed only four minutes to break the deadlock.

The Albanian striker remained composed in front of goal, putting Austin FC ahead and igniting the crowd at Q2 Stadium.

Puebla had not yet recovered when Uzuni struck again. In the seventh minute, following a quick Austin move and a combination with Christian Ramírez, the Albanian sent the ball into the net for a second time.

Austin FC were already leading 2–0 after just seven minutes.

Uzuni was not finished. In the 34th minute, he scored his third goal of the night to complete a remarkable hat trick and effectively seal the victory.

The score remained unchanged as Austin FC completed a convincing 3–0 win, while Puebla left the stadium without finding the net.

Austin FC 3–0 Club Puebla

Myrto Uzuni 4’ Myrto Uzuni 7’ Myrto Uzuni 34’ A Historic Hat Trick for Uzuni and Austin FC

This was Myrto Uzuni’s first hat trick in an Austin FC shirt. Before this match, he had never scored more than once in the same game for the American club.

His performance against Puebla also holds a special place in Austin FC history. Uzuni became only the second player to record a hat trick for the club.

Moussa Djitté was the first player to achieve the feat.

The Albanian international also became one of the few players to score three goals in a single Leagues Cup match. His hat trick places him among the standout performers of the 2026 tournament.

Uzuni began the competition with an assist against Club Tijuana before scoring three times against Puebla. He has therefore directly contributed to four goals in Austin FC’s opening two matches.

Two Victories and No Goals Conceded for Austin FC

Austin FC began its 2026 Leagues Cup campaign on August 6 with a 2–0 victory over Club Tijuana.

Joseph Rosales opened the scoring in the 16th minute following a pass from Myrto Uzuni. Jon Gallagher added the second goal in first-half stoppage time.

Club Tijuana were reduced to 10 players in the 69th minute, while Austin FC protected its lead and collected its first three points.

The 3–0 victory over Club Puebla moved the American side onto six points.

Austin FC’s record after two matches is highly impressive:

Match Result Austin FC vs. Club Tijuana 2–0 Austin FC vs. Club Puebla 3–0 Austin FC vs. Club América August 13

Austin FC currently have:

Two victories from two matches Six points Five goals scored No goals conceded A goal difference of +5

These results have placed Austin FC in a strong position in the race to qualify for the quarterfinals.

What Is the Leagues Cup?

The Leagues Cup is an official international tournament contested by clubs from Major League Soccer, the top league in the United States and Canada, and Liga MX, Mexico’s highest football division.

The competition is officially sanctioned by Concacaf, the governing body for football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

The Leagues Cup is not a friendly tournament. Its results carry significant sporting importance, as the top three teams qualify for the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup.

The Leagues Cup champion qualifies directly for the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions Cup. The runner-up and the winner of the third-place match also qualify for the continental competition.

Through the Concacaf Champions Cup, clubs from the region can earn the opportunity to compete in FIFA’s international club competitions.

The 2026 Leagues Cup runs from August 4 to September 6.

A total of 36 clubs are participating:

All 18 Liga MX clubs 18 qualifying MLS clubs

The MLS participants are the top nine teams from each conference that qualified for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Is There a “Group A”?

Some scoreboards, applications and broadcasts may display Austin FC’s matches under the heading “Group A.”

However, under the official 2026 Leagues Cup format, there are no traditional four-team groups in which every club plays against all the other teams in the same group.

Austin FC have a three-match schedule against three Liga MX opponents:

Club Tijuana Club Puebla Club América

These clubs can be viewed as Austin FC’s opponents in its Phase One schedule, but Austin FC, Tijuana, Puebla and América do not form a traditional group with their own independent table.

For example, Puebla are not required to play against Tijuana or Club América as part of an Austin FC group.

A total of 54 matches are played during Phase One, and every fixture features an MLS club against a Liga MX opponent.

How Does Qualification Work?

Two separate tables are created at the end of Phase One:

One table for the 18 MLS clubs One table for the 18 Liga MX clubs

The four highest-ranked MLS clubs and the four highest-ranked Liga MX clubs advance to the quarterfinals.

This means that Austin FC are not competing only against Tijuana, Puebla and Club América. To secure a place in the next round, Austin’s results are compared with those of every other MLS club participating in the tournament.

The following points system is used during Phase One:

Victory inside 90 minutes: three points Draw after 90 minutes: one point for each team A penalty shootout follows every draw The shootout winner receives an additional point, earning two points in total

As a result, no Phase One match simply ends in a draw without a penalty shootout deciding which team earns the additional point.

With six points and a +5 goal difference, Austin FC have built a strong foundation in their pursuit of a top-four position among the MLS participants.

The 36 Participating Clubs

The Liga MX representatives are:

Atlas, Club América, Atlético de San Luis, Guadalajara, Cruz Azul, Juárez, León, Mazatlán, Monterrey, Necaxa, Pachuca, Puebla, Pumas UNAM, Querétaro, Santos Laguna, Tigres UANL, Tijuana and Toluca.

The MLS representatives are:

Austin FC, Charlotte FC, Chicago Fire, FC Cincinnati, Columbus Crew, FC Dallas, Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC, Minnesota United, Nashville SC, New York City FC, Orlando City, Philadelphia Union, Portland Timbers, Real Salt Lake, San Diego FC, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps.

Next Match: Austin FC vs. Club América

Austin FC will complete Phase One on August 13 with a major encounter against Club América.

The match will be played at Q2 Stadium in Austin and is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. local time.

It will be the first meeting between the two clubs.

Club América are one of the biggest, most popular and most successful teams in Mexican football. For that reason, the match is expected to be Austin FC’s toughest test of the opening phase.

The American side will be seeking a third consecutive victory and a perfect finish to Phase One. Another positive result would move Austin FC very close to securing a place in the quarterfinals.

All three of Austin FC’s Phase One matches are being played at Q2 Stadium.

From Albania to Austin to Make History

Myrto Uzuni joined Austin FC in January 2025 following a successful spell with Granada in Spain.

The American club activated his release clause, reportedly worth approximately $12.3 million, making him one of the most significant investments in Austin FC history.

In Spain, Uzuni won the Segunda División’s Pichichi Trophy as the league’s leading scorer and helped Granada earn promotion to La Liga.

After moving to the United States, the Albanian forward declared that he had not come to Austin to relax but to leave his name in the club’s history.

With his hat trick against Puebla, he took a major step toward achieving that objective.

Uzuni is no longer simply the team’s leading goalscorer. He has become the symbol of Austin FC’s attack and one of the most prominent ambassadors of Albanian football in Major League Soccer.

On the night of August 9, Q2 Stadium was Austin FC’s home—but the language of goals was Albanian.

Austin “spoke Albanian,” and Myrto Uzuni made history.