Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps — Concacaf Champions Cup final: Preview, Predictions and Lineups | OneFootball

Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Cruz Azul are set for battle in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on Sunday night, adding another chapter to the long rivalry between Major League Soccer and Liga MX.

The Whitecaps head to Cruz Azul sitting second in the MLS Supporters’ Shield standings and first in the Western Conference, amid a run that ranks as the best in the club’s 14-year MLS history.

Cruz Azul, meanwhile, are hoping to finish their 2024–25 season with a trophy after a disappointing end to their Clausura playoffs, where Club América eliminated them in the semifinal.

While Liga MX teams have won 18 of the last 19 Concacaf Champions Cup tournaments, the Whitecaps enter brimming with hope despite playing away, having already eliminated Pumas UNAM and CF Monterrey from the tournament.

Last year, Pachuca came out on top in another MLS vs. Liga MX battle, beating Columbus Crew SC 3–0 in the final, despite Columbus missing several key players due to stomach issues allegedly caused by food poisoning.

Will the Whitecaps become the first Canadian team to win the Champions Cup, or will Cruz Azul maintain Mexican dominance? We’ll find out soon.

Here’s all you need to know heading into Sunday.

What Time Does Cruz Azul vs Vancouver Whitecaps FC Kick-Off?

How Did Each Team Get Here?

Cruz Azul

Vancouver Whitecaps

Current Form (all competitions)

How to watch Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC on TV

What’s On the Line?

The club that wins the Concacaf Champions Cup will receive $5 million in prize money, in addition to earning a spot at the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup in the fall and a berth to the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.

Participants that qualify for the 2025 Club World Cup group stage are expected to make $10 million in prize money and that number that could rise for the 2029 tournament, making Sunday’s final a financial boon for either team.

Featuring the winners of regional club tournaments from around the world, the Intercontinental Cup replaced the previous iteration of the Club World Cup. The Concacaf winner would take on the Conmebol winner in the Derby of the Americas, before facing the African–Asian–Pacific Cup winner in the Challenger Cup.

The Challenger Cup winner would then face the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League winner for the title.

Cruz Azul Team News

Angel Sepulveda leads the Concacaf Champions Cup with seven goals in the tournament. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Having not played since their Clausura semifinal loss to Club América on May 18, Cruz Azul have a nearly fully fit roster, which has been preparing for the final and the Whitecaps as their opponent for two weeks.

With six Champions Cup titles, Cruz Azul are the second most successful club and could tie the record for most titles should they win their seventh. Through the bracket, they have outscored opponents 15-3 and finished the Clausura regular season third with a 9-6-2 record.

Their biggest threats come from a multi-faceted attack, with Ignacio Rivero and Mateusz Bogusz acting as dual No. 10s, and Angel Sepulveda, the tournament’s leading scorer with seven goals, leading the line.

That trio proved to be potent in Liga MX. Sepulveda has 21 goals and four assists in all competitions this season, while Rivero has 15 goals and six assists. Bogusz, who joined midseason from LAFC, has five assists and scored the winning goal for LAFC the last time he played the Whitecaps, eliminating Vancouver from the 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Will head coach Vicente Sanchez be able to lead La Máquina to a crowning seventh title? To do so, they will have to continue their streak of never having lost a home match to an MLS team.

Cruz Azul Predicted Lineup vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

Cruz Azul Predicted Lineup vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (4-2-3-1): Mier; Sanchez, Ditta, Orozco, Rotondi; Rodriguez, Lira; Bogusz, Faravelli, Fernandez; Sepulveda

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Team News

Paraguay international Andres Cubas is one of the most important players for the Vancouver Whitecaps. / Anne-Marie Sorvin-Imagn Images

Vancouver Whitecaps FC will look to become the first Canadian team to win the Champions Cup, after Toronto FC and CF Montréal both lost in their respective runs to the final.

They won’t enter the game with much rest, having played Minnesota United to a scoreless draw in MLS action on Wednesday night. However, head coach Jesper Sørensen has stressed that the players have appreciated the regularity of midweek matches to start the season, a pattern that has helped the Canadian side win games.

Brian White and Andres Cubas remain the two most important players heading into the final. White is second in tournament scoring with five goals and has found the back of the net 15 times in 21 matches in all competitions this season, while Cubas has proven to be a defensive midfield lynchpin.

Playing a possession-based and consistent style, Vancouver will look to control the match, while making the best opportunities for White, which often come from the midfield creativity of Pedro Vite.

Vancouver has showcased their ability to get results in Mexico, tying both CF Monterrey and Pumas UNAM 2–2 earlier in the tournament, with the series-winning draw against Pumas coming at the same stadium that will host the final.

Not everything will be simple for the Whitecaps though. They will be missing midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, who has three goals and two assists in the tournament due to yellow card accumulation, as well as Designated Player midfielder Ryan Gauld, who has been injured since March 8.

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Predicted Lineup vs. Cruz Azul

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Predicted Lineup vs. Cruz Azul (4-3-3): Takaoka; Adekugbe, Vesilinovic, Blackmon, Laborda; Vite, Cubas, Priso; Nelson, White, Ahmed

Cruz Azul vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC Score Prediction

The Whitecaps have shocked at every turn, and could not be in much better form heading into the Champions Cup final. Still, though, the tournament final has not been friendly to MLS teams in the past, and a Canadian team has only won once in Mexico.

Despite their differing forms, Cruz Azul are likely to come out as winners in what will be an enticing tactical battle and a close match, which could be decided beyond 90 minutes.