League II 2026 Group A Round 18 Recap

🏆 League 2 – Group A

2026 Season – Round 18 Recap (of 46)

We are officially 18 rounds into a long 46-match campaign, and the promotion race in Group A is heating up!

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🔝 Promotion Spot – The Leader

1️⃣ Chankas CYC (PER) – 42 pts
Chankas remain firmly in control at the top of the table. With 13 wins in 18 matches and a powerful +26 goal difference (54 scored!), they currently hold the automatic promotion spot to the World Premier League.

Their recent form has been strong, and they’ve created a small but important cushion at the summit.

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🎟️ Playoff Zone (2nd–9th)

The battle for playoff positioning is incredibly tight:

2️⃣ Vancouver Whitecaps – 38 pts
3️⃣ Pachuca – 37 pts
4️⃣ Fulham – 35 pts
5️⃣ AC Milan – 33 pts
6️⃣ Botafogo – 33 pts
7️⃣ Fortaleza – 31 pts
8️⃣ FC Copenhagen – 29 pts
9️⃣ Ajax – 29 pts

Just 9 points separate 2nd from 9th, and even the goal difference battles are becoming crucial. Vancouver and Pachuca are keeping pressure on Chankas, while Fulham and the Brazilian duo (AC Milan & Botafogo level on points) remain firmly in contention.

Fortaleza, Copenhagen, and Ajax are holding onto the final playoff positions—but the margin is razor thin.

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⚠️ Just Outside the Playoffs

🔟 Caracas – 29 pts
Caracas sits level on points with Ajax but outside the top nine due to goal difference. If the season ended today, they would qualify for the Friendly Cup instead of the promotion playoffs.

1️⃣1️⃣ Cartaginés – 28 pts
Only one point further back, Cartaginés would currently head to the King’s Cup spot.

With 28 rounds still to play, both clubs remain very much alive in the playoff race.

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⬇️ Relegation Battle

At the bottom, the danger zone is becoming clearer:

23️⃣ FC Midtjylland – 11 pts
24️⃣ Defence Force – 7 pts

If the season ended today, these two would be relegated to League III. Defence Force is struggling badly, conceding heavily and already seven points from safety. Midtjylland still has hope but needs a major turnaround.

Just above them:

• Dalian Shide – 12 pts

• Raja – 12 pts

• Olmedo – 14 pts

The survival fight is far from settled, but momentum needs to shift quickly for the bottom clubs.

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📊 Midseason Outlook

With only 18 of 46 rounds completed:

• The title and automatic promotion race is competitive but led confidently by Chankas.

• The playoff line (9th place) is incredibly tight.

• The cup qualification spots (10th & 11th) are within a single win’s swing.

• The relegation fight is starting to take shape but remains open.

There’s still more than half the season to go—expect dramatic shifts, especially around the playoff cutoff and survival line.

Round 19 can’t come soon enough.