League II 2026 Group C Round 18 Recap

League 2 – Group C

2026 Season – Round 18 Recap (of 46)

We’re 18 rounds into a long 46-game season, and the promotion and playoff battles are already heating up.

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🔝 Title & Automatic Promotion Race

1️⃣ Real Salt Lake (USA) – 38 pts
Real Salt Lake remain top of the table and currently hold the automatic promotion spot to the World Premier League. With 12 wins from 18 matches and strong recent form, they’ve created a small but important cushion.

Hot on their heels:

• 2️⃣ Cruzeiro (BRA) – 36 pts

• 3️⃣ Vélez Sarsfield (ARG) – 36 pts

• 4️⃣ Limón F.C. (CTR) – 35 pts

Just three points separate 1st from 4th — this race is far from settled with 28 rounds still to play.

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🎯 Playoff Zone (2nd–9th)

Currently in the playoff positions:

2. Cruzeiro – 36 pts

3. Vélez Sarsfield – 36 pts

4. Limón F.C. – 35 pts

5. Bayer Leverkusen – 33 pts

6. Everton – 33 pts

7. Tigre – 33 pts

8. Twente – 30 pts

9. Toluca – 29 pts

The middle of the table is extremely tight. Just a few points separate several clubs, meaning one good or bad run could completely reshape the playoff picture.

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🏆 Special Qualification Spots

• 10th – Tottenham (27 pts) → Friendly Cup qualification

• 11th – Santos (25 pts) → King’s Cup qualification

Both clubs are within striking distance of the playoff zone but must improve consistency to break into the top nine.

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⚠️ Relegation Battle

Currently in the drop zone to League III:

• 23rd – C.D. Numancia (11 pts)

• 24th – Red Bull Bragantino (9 pts)

Both sides are struggling defensively and already trailing safety by a significant margin. However, with 28 matches remaining, survival is still mathematically possible — but urgency is critical.

Clubs like General Díaz (16 pts), Vitesse (16 pts), and CF Montréal (17 pts) are hovering dangerously close and cannot afford a prolonged slump.

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📊 Mid-Table Traffic Jam

From 12th down to 17th (Istres, Toulouse, Forge, Braga, Auxerre, CSKA Moscow), just a handful of points separate six teams. This group could either mount a late playoff push or get dragged into the relegation scrap.

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🔥 Summary After 18 Rounds

• Real Salt Lake lead but by only 2 points.

• The playoff race is incredibly congested.

• Tottenham and Santos sit in special qualification spots but remain within reach of playoffs.

• Numancia and Bragantino have serious ground to make up.

• 28 rounds remain — plenty of twists ahead.

The marathon season continues.