Premier World League Season 2026 Group C Round 12 Recap

Round 12 delivered another entertaining slate of matches in Group C, and while there are still 50 matches remaining in the 62-game season, the race for playoff positioning is already beginning to take shape. The battle for the coveted top four World Cup of Clubs places is becoming increasingly competitive, while the fight to stay inside the top 16 playoff spots is just as intense.

Match Results

• Hamburger SV (GER) 1-4 Juventus (ITA)
• Manchester City (UK) 0-2 FC Tokyo (JAP)
• Ulsan Hyundai FC (SK) 1-2 Urawa Reds (JAP)
• Babuna (MC) 4-3 The Strongest (BOL)
• Crystal Palace (UK) 1-2 LA Galaxy (USA)
• Borussia Dortmund (GER) 2-3 Atlético Madrid (SPA)
• Limón F.C. (CTR) 2-1 Rosario (ARG)
• Bayer 04 Leverkusen (GER) 3-2 Sevilla (SPA)
• Austin FC (USA) 2-2 América (MEX)
• York United FC (CND) 1-1 Unión Española (CHI)
• Necaxa (MEX) 1-2 Hansa Rostock (GER)
• Newell's (ARG) 3-0 Santa Tecla (SAL)
• New York Red Bulls (USA) 2-1 Norwich (UK)
• Zenit Saint Petersburg (RUS) 1-3 Newcastle United (UK)
• Vegalta Sendai (JAP) 2-1 FC Edmonton (CND)
• Bolívar (BOL) 4-1 Cerezo Osaka (JAP)

Race for the Top

FC Tokyo continues to look like the team to beat. Their composed 2-0 victory over Manchester City improves them to 33 points, extending their lead at the summit.

Bolívar kept pace with an emphatic 4-1 win over Cerezo Osaka, remaining just four points off first place with 29 points.

Urawa Reds climbed to 29 points as well after defeating Ulsan Hyundai, while Babuna edged an exciting seven-goal thriller against The Strongest to also reach 28 points, keeping themselves firmly inside the World Cup of Clubs qualification places.

Bayer Leverkusen stayed right on the heels of the top four after overcoming Sevilla in one of the best matches of the round.

Playoff Picture (1-16)

The playoff race remains extremely crowded.

• Positions 1-4 (World Cup of Clubs): FC Tokyo, Bolívar, Urawa Reds and Babuna currently occupy the automatic international qualification spots.
• Positions 5-16: Bayer Leverkusen, Newcastle United, Hamburger SV, Cerezo Osaka, Sevilla, LA Galaxy, Borussia Dortmund, Necaxa, Hansa Rostock, Atlético Madrid, Manchester City and Unión Española currently make up the remainder of the playoff field.

Several clubs—including Vegalta Sendai, Newell's, Zenit Saint Petersburg and York United—remain within striking distance and could break into the top 16 with a strong run over the coming weeks.

Friendly Cup Race (17-22)

If the season ended today, the Friendly Cup qualifiers would be:

• Vegalta Sendai
• Newell's
• Zenit Saint Petersburg
• York United
• América
• Ulsan Hyundai FC

The margins are still slim, meaning every point will become increasingly valuable as the season progresses.

King's Cup Positions (23-26)

Currently occupying the King's Cup places are:

• New York Red Bulls
• FC Edmonton
• Austin FC
• Crystal Palace

New York's victory over Norwich helped their chances of climbing out of this zone, while Austin's draw prevented them from making significant progress.

Relegation Battle

The bottom two clubs remain in serious trouble.

• Santa Tecla suffered another setback with a 3-0 defeat to Newell's, leaving them second from bottom.
• Rosario remains rooted to last place after falling to Limón F.C., still searching for a turnaround after just one point from twelve matches.

Both clubs already face an uphill battle to escape the relegation zone.

Round 12 Standouts

• FC Tokyo continues to set the standard with another convincing victory.
• Bolívar sent a strong message by dismantling fellow contender Cerezo Osaka.
• Atlético Madrid earned one of the biggest results of the round by defeating Borussia Dortmund away from home.
• Newcastle United climbed further into the playoff places with an impressive road win over Zenit Saint Petersburg.
• Babuna won the highest-scoring match of the round, defeating The Strongest 4-3.

With only 12 of 62 rounds completed, there is still plenty of time for dramatic movement throughout the standings. However, the early favorites are beginning to separate themselves, while the battles for the final playoff positions, Friendly Cup berths, King's Cup qualification, and relegation survival are becoming increasingly competitive.