The champions of Concacaf will be in Langley on Wednesday night, as Canadian Premier League side Vancouver FC host Mexico’s Cruz Azul to begin their Concacaf Champions Cup campaign.
Willoughby Stadium will play host to men’s continental soccer for the first time, as VFC make their debut on the international stage (kickoff at 7 p.m. PT/10 p.m. ET, live on OneSoccer).
It’ll be a trial by fire for Vancouver, whose first taste of Concacaf action comes against the most successful club in the competition’s history. Cruz Azul have won seven titles (tied with Club América for the most) over the 60-year history of this tournament, including the 2025 trophy. Canadian fans may remember Cruz Azul’s rout of the Vancouver Whitecaps in that final last June; now, it’s another Vancouver-area side looking for better fortune.
That is, of course, much easier said than done for a Vancouver team who haven’t played a competitive match since October. One hundred places in the latest Concacaf Club Rankings separate Cruz Azul (2nd) from Vancouver FC (102nd).
The last time we saw Vancouver FC on the pitch, they were closing out the 2025 CPL season with a six-game unbeaten run. Although they still finished at the bottom of the standings, the club’s form improved significantly after Martin Nash took over as interim head coach in July.
Of course, the highlight of the campaign was VFC’s run in the TELUS Canadian Championship; they knocked off three fellow CPL sides (including both 2025 CPL finalists Atlético Ottawa and Cavalry FC), en route to a local derby final against the Whitecaps. The MLS club were convincing winners in that final, but Vancouver’s attack still impressed against a star-studded opponent in a 4-2 defeat.
Qualifying for that CanChamp final was what booked VFC’s ticket to this Concacaf match; because the Whitecaps qualified via their place in the MLS table, Vancouver FC took the spot from the Canadian Championship.
Since the end of that 2025 campaign, Vancouver have been toiling away to prepare for their first Concacaf matchup. The first order of business was appointing Martin Nash to the permanent head coach role, as well as locking down the team’s core.
Marquee attackers like Thierno Bah and Nicolas Mezquida remain in place — the latter on a new contract — as are 10 other members of last year’s squad. Bah and Mezquida, VFC’s two standouts in the CanChamp final, will be focal points in Concacaf, particularly the latter; Mezquida played in this tournament several times with the Whitecaps, and is familiar with Mexican opposition.
Joining them are a host of new faces, like CPL veteran defender Tom Field, and New Zealand international Luis Toomey in attack.
