Cruz Azul begins title defense at debuting Vancouver FC

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MIAMI – The 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup continues with Vancouver FC facing defending champions Cruz Azul in the first leg of their Round One series on Wednesday at Willoughby Stadium in Langley, British Columbia, Canada.

Vancouver FC will be one of two Canadian teams debuting in the 2026 Champions Cup, alongside Atlético Ottawa. The club will aim to become the first Canadian Soccer League side to qualify for the Round of 16.

Cruz Azul is unbeaten in its last eight matches against Canadian foes in Champions Cup (6 wins, 2 draws), including the 5-nil victory over Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the 2025 Final.

Ángel Sepúlveda was the standout of last year’s tournament, winning the Top Goal Scorer, presented by Aramco, with nine goals – including a brace in that Final for La Maquina.

This contest will mark the 50th all-time match between Canadian and Mexican clubs in the competition’s history. Liga MX clubs hold the advantage with 25 victories compared to Canada’s eight, with 16 of those matches ending in draws.

All-Time series

Vancouver FC will be the second Canadian club to face Cruz Azul in its tournament debut, following Forge FC, which fell 4-1 on aggregate to the seven-time Concacaf champions in the Round of 16 of the 2022 edition. The first leg was played on February 16, 2022, at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton (CAN), where Cruz Azul earned a 1-0 win with a goal by Rómulo Otero. The second leg took place on February 24, 2022, with a 3-1 victory for the Mexican side, as Ángel Romero, Rafael Baca, and Juan Marcelo Escobar scored, while David Chonière found the net for the Canadian club.

This will be the fourth two-legged series in tournament history in which Cruz Azul faces Canadian clubs, with the Mexican side having won every series. Cruz Azul eliminated Toronto FC in the Quarterfinals of the 2021 edition (4-1 aggregate), Forge FC in the Round of 16 of the 2022 edition (4-1 aggregate), and CF Montréal in the Quarterfinals of the 2022 edition (2-1 aggregate). That series against CF Montréal produced the only draw for Cruz Azul against Canadian clubs in two-legged series, a 1-1 result in the second leg of the Quarterfinals on March 16, 2022, at Stade Olympique in Montréal (CAN), with goals from Uriel Antuna for the visitors and Rudy Camacho for the hosts.