Whitecaps advance to the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final and gain respect in Mexico.
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Cruz Azul and Tigres face each to determine second finalist (Aggregate 1–1)Whitecaps aim to become first Canadian Team to win the Champions CupSorensen's team visit Real Salt Lake City this weekendGet the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAFPWHAT HAPPENED?
Vancouver Whitecaps made a powerful statement in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, becoming the tournament’s first finalist after eliminating Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a dominant 5–1 aggregate victory in the semifinals. Led by head coach Jesper Sorensen, the Canadian side now awaits the winner of Thursday’s all-Mexican semifinal between Cruz Azul and Tigres.
The performance didn’t go unnoticed in Mexico, where media and pundits praised the Whitecaps for their consistency across both legs. With their strong showing, many analysts warned that neither Cruz Azul nor Tigres can afford to underestimate the MLS side in the final.
Former Mexican international and analyst Ricardo Peláez acknowledged the strength of Liga MX clubs but cautioned against complacency.
“Anyone who thinks Cruz Azul or Tigres already has the title in the bag is wrong. This final will be tight,” said Peláez. “The Whitecaps are solid in every line, and they showed real character against Miami.”
His colleague from ESPN, Héctor Huerta, added that while Liga MX teams often benefit from home-field advantage, MLS sides tend to struggle on the road — a key factor in knockout tournaments.
“Just look at what happened in the final between Pachuca and Columbus Crew — Tuzos ran right through them,” Huerta said. “Playing in Mexico changes everything.”
Meanwhile, attention remains fixed on Inter Miami and their underwhelming exit, which reignited debates about the team’s long-term strategy and dependency on Messi. Former striker and current Fox Sports analyst Rafael Márquez Lugo didn’t hold back.
“Without Messi, Inter Miami wouldn’t even exist,” he said. “Is this a project to win or just to sell shirts? You bring in the best player in the world, but surround him with an aging team — that’s not how you build a champion.”
Christian “Chaco” Giménez, former Mexico international and father of Santiago Giménez, echoed that view, calling out the flawed roster construction.
“Inter defends poorly – that’s their biggest weakness,” he said. “Vancouver could’ve finished them off earlier. They built the squad around Messi the wrong way. The Whitecaps are more balanced, more complete.”
He also addressed the disproportionate criticism directed at the Argentine star.
“People attack Messi just because of who he is, but if you really know football, Inter Miami reached its ceiling — and it wasn’t enough. This team wasn’t built to compete seriously.”
AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Jesper Sorensen and his Vancouver Whitecaps have been the talk of this year's tournament. In the Round of 16, they stunned Monterrey — featuring Spanish star Sergio Ramos — and followed it up with a dramatic last-minute winner against Pumas in the quarterfinals. Both times, they sealed the series on the road, in tough Mexican stadiums.
Last night, they delivered another masterclass, this time at Chase Stadium, eliminating none other than Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami with a confident and commanding performance.
Remarkably, the Whitecaps have closed out every knockout round away from home — a rare feat in this competition — earning them growing respect from fans and analysts alike in Mexico.
Now, only one question remains: can they finish the job and lift the Champions Cup as the first Canadian club to ever do it?
AFPDID YOU KNOW?
With their convincing semifinal win over Inter Miami, the Vancouver Whitecaps have become just the third Canadian team in history to reach the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup — following in the footsteps of Montreal Impact (2015) and Toronto FC (2018). Both of those previous finalists fell short, with Montreal losing to Club América and Toronto falling to Chivas in a dramatic penalty shootout.
Now, Vancouver will look to break new ground by becoming the first-ever Canadian club to win the tournament. The last MLS side to claim the CONCACAF title was Seattle Sounders in 2022, when they defeated Mexico’s Pumas UNAM in the final.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR WHITECAPS?
Sorensen’s squad isn’t just excelling on the international stage — they’re also proving to be the hottest team in Major League Soccer. In addition to securing their spot in the CONCACAF Champions Cup Final, the Vancouver Whitecaps currently sit atop the Western Conference standings. They’ll return to league action this weekend with a home clash against Real Salt Lake, aiming to extend their strong run of form across all competitions.
