FC Cincinnati faces D.C. United on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati in a rescheduled fixture of the MLS Regular Season, the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. (19:00 local time at the stadium), with live streaming coverage in the United States on Apple TV.
Originally set for September 5, 2026, the match was postponed due to heavy rain in Cincinnati that affected field conditions and player safety. Entering this Eastern Conference contest, FC Cincinnati holds 9th place—the final playoff qualification spot—with 36 points from 29 games (9 wins, 9 draws, and 11 losses), level on points with 8th-placed Red Bull New York and 10th-placed Toronto FC. D.C. United sits in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points after 29 matches (7 wins, 12 draws, and 10 losses), trailing FC Cincinnati by three points in the playoff race. Both clubs arrive following recent defeats: FC Cincinnati lost 2-0 at home to Columbus Crew on Sunday (18), while D.C. United fell 4-1 away to Orlando City SC on Saturday (17). In their previous head-to-head meeting on May 31, 2025, D.C. United defeated FC Cincinnati 2-1 at TQL Stadium.
Where to watch FC Cincinnati vs D.C. United live
Starting in the 2026 season, the standalone MLS Season Pass subscription ended, granting regular subscribers across more than 100 countries access to all league matches without regional blackouts.
- Apple TV (streaming)
Kick-off time and venue for FC Cincinnati vs D.C. United
The midweek clash takes place in Ohio with the following official schedule and venue details:
- Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2026
- Kick-off time: 7 p.m. (19:00 local time, America/New_York)
- Venue: TQL Stadium, in Cincinnati
- Competition: MLS — Major League Soccer — MLS Regular Season
Read also: FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew: where to watch live, kick-off time and lineups (MLS, Oct 18)
Probable lineup for FC Cincinnati
Head coach Pat Noonan leads an FC Cincinnati squad that has conceded 70 goals in 29 matches during the 2026 MLS season, while Brazilian midfielder and team captain Evander da Silva Ferreira has recorded 13 goals, 10 assists, and 78 chances created. Following the 2-0 loss to Columbus Crew—where Noonan started Roman Celentano, Tyrell Malacia, Teenage Hadebe, Julián Malatini, Samuel Gidi, David Douděra, Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo, Evander, Kévin Denkey, and Tom Barlow—the projected 3-5-2 starting eleven is:
- Roman Celentano; Kyle Smith, Teenage Hadebe (or Nick Hagglund), Andrei Chirilă; Pavel Bucha, Obinna Nwobodo, Evander, Gerardo Valenzuela, Ender Echenique (or David Douděra); Ayoub Jabbari and Kévin Denkey.
According to the official MLS Player Status Report, defenders Julián Malatini (leg injury) and Miles Robinson (leg injury) are confirmed outs for FC Cincinnati. Ender Echenique (leg) and José Martínez (knee) are listed as questionable. The official league report did not disclose the specific list of players one yellow card away from suspension for this match.
Before the game, Pat Noonan addressed the team’s need for points and defensive execution inside the penalty areas. “Right now, we can talk about stats all we want. We need to win. That’s it. We need to win, however that looks, however that feels, we need to win games,” Noonan said. “But if you look at how the games are being played right now structurally, chance creation, we still concede in almost every big moment that we concede or give up. But I wouldn’t say a lot drastically needs to change, other than winning the boxes. That’s something that we haven’t done,” he added.
Probable lineup for D.C. United
Swiss head coach René Weiler, hired on July 16, 2025, to replace Troy Lesesne (dismissed on July 10, 2025), regains center-back and team captain Lucas Bartlett, who returns from a one-match suspension after receiving a red card against Orlando City. Forward Tai Baribo leads the D.C. United attack as the team’s top scorer in the 2026 MLS season with 16 goals. The projected starting lineup in a 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 formation includes:
- Sean Johnson; Kimito Nono (or Silvan Hefti), Lucas Bartlett, Andre Dozzell (or Kye Rowles), Keisuke Kurokawa; Brandon Servania, Matti Peltola, João Peglow; Tai Baribo, Jackson Hopkins and Nathan Ordaz (or Oscar Avilez).
The MLS availability report lists Hosei Kijima (lower leg injury), Louis Munteanu (lower leg injury), and Gabe Segal (lower leg injury) as confirmed absentees for D.C. United, while goalkeeper Sean Johnson is questionable with a lower leg issue. The list of players nearing yellow card suspension has not been confirmed.
Noonan also commented on the threat posed by D.C. United striker Tai Baribo. “He is a very strong player. We certainly look at the games where he’s involved because, without knowing, you anticipate that he could be back. When he’s on the field, especially when they have the ball, the timing of his movements, the change of speed to attack behind to run in the box is very strong,” the FC Cincinnati coach stated.
Read also: Seattle Sounders vs CF Montréal: where to watch live, kick-off time and lineups (MLS, Oct 17)
Refereeing team for FC Cincinnati vs D.C. United
The officiating crew assigned to the match at TQL Stadium features the following officials:
- Referee: Timothy Ford
- Assistant Referee 1: Logan Brown
- Assistant Referee 2: Gerard-Kader Lebuis
- Fourth Official: Edson Carvajal
- Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Ramy Touchan
- Assistant VAR (AVAR): Tom Felice
Head-to-head history and next fixture for FC Cincinnati and D.C. United
In the all-time meetings between the two clubs, D.C. United holds an overall historical advantage of 6 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses. FC Cincinnati has defeated D.C. United at home only once in series history, securing a 2-1 victory at TQL Stadium in May 2023. Following this midweek fixture, both teams will immediately face each other again three days later on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.