Vancouver Whitecaps' Andres Cubas (20) and Vancouver FC's Nicolas Mezquida (20) vie for the ball during the second half of the Canadian Championship final soccer match in Vancouver, on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns
February 12, 2026 - 2:35 PM
PUEBLA CITY — Vancouver FC saw its run at the CONCACAF Champions Cup come to an end with a 5-0 loss to Cruz Azul on Thursday.
A hat trick from Luka Romero powered the Liga MX side to the lopsided victory over the Canadian Premier League club in the second leg of the opening-round series.
Jorge Rodarte and Nicolás Ibañez also scored for Cruz Azul, the tournament's defending champions.
Vancouver fell 3-0 in the first leg of the aggregate series on Feb. 4.
Two Canadian clubs remain in the opening round of the tournament, with Atletico Ottawa facing Major League Soccer's Nashville SC and the Vancouver Whitecaps taking on Costa Rican club C.S. Cartaginés.
Vancouver FC will kick off its CPL season against the Halifax Wanderers on April 4.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 12, 2026.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2026