Information verified: Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 7:52 p.m. in San Diego, California (Pacific Standard Time, PST, UTC−08:00); Sunday, November 8, at 03:52 UTC. Match status: Final.
Sporting Kansas City defeated San Diego FC 1–0 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the MLS Decision Day finale. André Luiz scored the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. The road victory lifted Sporting KC out of last place in the overall MLS standings, while San Diego ended its regular season with 38 points and no postseason berth. Both the club's official match recap and the MLS match center confirm the final score.
Sporting goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland made four saves to preserve the clean sheet, despite San Diego holding 63% of the possession. The result closed the 34-game regular season for both teams; neither entered Decision Day with a path to the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.
The confirmed result was San Diego FC 0, Sporting Kansas City 1. The clubs were tied 0–0 at halftime. Sporting broke through in the 76th minute, when André Luiz was fouled inside the penalty area and converted the ensuing spot kick. It was his eighth league goal of the season, according to Sporting Kansas City's official recap.
The finish reversed the result of their earlier 2026 meeting: San Diego had won 1–0 away to Sporting KC in March. In the November finale, Kansas City instead earned all three points on the road. The official MLS match center confirms the 1–0 score, the penalty scorer and the result.
Both sides created openings in the first half. San Diego's Marcus Ingvartsen tested Cleveland early, while André Luiz immediately threatened at the other end. Sporting's Stephen Afrifa later had an opportunity one-on-one, but San Diego goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega prevented the visitors from taking a halftime lead.
The hosts nearly went in front early in the second half when Bryan Zamblé hit the near post with a low effort. Sisniega also denied André Luiz in open play. The decisive moment came after the Brazilian attacker was brought down while advancing toward goal in the penalty area. He took the kick himself, sent Sisniega the wrong way and put Sporting ahead in the 76th minute.
San Diego pushed to equalize in the closing stages but could not beat Cleveland. Sporting also had additional chances on the counterattack, and the visitors secured their second shutout of the 2026 season. These match details come from Sporting Kansas City's published match recap, rather than pregame predictions.
Sporting KC's published statistical report records a possession advantage for San Diego but more accurate attempts and a higher expected-goals figure for the visitors. That contrast helps explain how Kansas City could win despite spending less time on the ball. The figures below are reported match statistics, not independent estimates.
| Statistic | San Diego FC | Sporting Kansas City |
|---|---|---|
| Final score | 0 | 1 |
| Shots | 17 | 15 |
| Shots on goal | 4 | 6 |
| Possession | 63% | 37% |
| Expected goals (xG) | 1.5 | 3.0 |
| Corner kicks | 8 | 4 |
| Goalkeeper saves | 5 | 4 |
The official club recap reports attendance of 23,695 at Snapdragon Stadium. Cleveland's four saves helped Sporting survive a late home push, while Sisniega's five stops prevented the visitors from extending their lead. The shot totals and xG are descriptive statistics; they should not be confused with goals scored.
Sporting Kansas City ended with 26 points from 34 games and a record of seven wins, 22 losses and five draws. The victory moved Sporting above CF Montréal into 29th place overall on the Supporters' Shield table, avoiding the league's last-place finish. The clubs ended level on points, with Sporting holding the edge on the wins tiebreaker. That outcome, previously a conditional Decision Day scenario, is now confirmed by Sporting KC's final match report.
San Diego FC ended with 38 points from nine wins, 14 losses and 11 draws, finishing 13th in the Western Conference. San Diego had already been eliminated from playoff contention, so this home loss did not end a remaining qualification chance. Kansas City likewise had no path to the playoffs before kickoff. The significance of the result was the final league positioning, not a new playoff berth.
In its first MLS season in 2025, San Diego finished atop the Western Conference regular-season table; its 2026 campaign ended much lower. That year-to-year comparison provides context but does not establish why results changed. The match itself confirms only the November 7 outcome, not the causes of the entire season's performance.
The official Decision Day schedule set the match for Saturday, November 7, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in San Diego, PST (UTC−08:00), equal to Sunday, November 8, at 00:00 UTC. It was also 6:00 p.m. in Kansas City, CST (UTC−06:00), and 7:00 p.m. in New York, EST (UTC−05:00). Sporting's pregame preview anticipated the ball being kicked around 4:10 p.m. PST; that was a projected on-field start, not the league's listed time.
U.S. daylight saving time had ended on November 1, 2026, so these November 7 conversions use standard time, not PDT, CDT or EDT. The calendar date shifts to November 8 in UTC even though the fixture was played on November 7 in San Diego. See the official Sporting KC preview for the pregame time and venue information.
Now that the game is over, fans looking for the final score, match incidents and lineup information should start with the MLS match center and the Sporting Kansas City recap. The match was carried live on Apple TV; viewers can check the MLS viewing guide and Apple TV for available highlights or replays, which can depend on service and region.
The confirmed starting goalkeepers were Pablo Sisniega for San Diego and Stefan Cleveland for Sporting Kansas City. André Luiz started and scored for the visitors. This verified postgame information replaces pregame player-availability projections, which do not establish who actually played.
The November 7 match completed each club's 2026 MLS regular season, and neither advances to the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. Sporting Kansas City says it will next prepare for the shortened 2027 MLS Sprint Season, with preseason preparations scheduled to begin in mid-January and its opening league game planned for February 20, 2027, at Houston. Those future dates are club-announced plans and remain subject to subsequent schedule changes.
The 2026 MLS postseason continues for qualified teams after the November FIFA international window. For the two clubs that played at Snapdragon Stadium, the confirmed news is the final 1–0 score and its standings effect; projections about offseason roster decisions, injuries or next-season outcomes would require additional verified announcements.
Sporting Kansas City won 1–0 away at Snapdragon Stadium. André Luiz scored the only goal with a 76th-minute penalty.
The published schedule was 4:00 p.m. PST (UTC−08:00) in San Diego on November 7, equivalent to 00:00 UTC on November 8, 2026. The match has finished.
No. Both clubs were eliminated before Decision Day. Sporting's win affected its final overall standings position, not postseason qualification.
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