On Friday, Concacaf announced the fixtures and venues for the 2026 Champions Cup first round, including those for the three CPL sides competing in this year's edition.
Forge FC and Vancouver FC will both play during the first window of Round One matches, on Feb. 3 and 4, respectively, while CPL Champions Atlético Ottawa have to wait a bit longer before they enter the competition on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
The schedule for each team in the home-and-away round is as follows:
Forge FC
Tuesday, Feb. 3 — Forge FC vs Tigres UANL (7 p.m. ET @ Hamilton Stadium)
Tuesday, Feb. 10 — Tigres UANL vs Forge FC (9 p.m. ET @ Estadio Universitario de la UANL)
Vancouver FC
Wednesday, Feb. 4 — Vancouver FC vs Cruz Azul (10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT @ Willoughby Community Park)
Thursday, Feb. 12 — Cruz Azul vs Vancouver FC (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT @ Estadio Olímpico Universitario)
Atletico Ottawa
Tuesday, Feb. 17 — Atlético Ottawa vs Nashville SC (8 p.m. ET @ Hamilton Stadium)
Tuesday, Feb. 24 — Nashville SC vs Atlético Ottawa (TBD @ Geodis Park)
For the first time in club history, Vancouver FC will host continental football at Willoughby Community Park. It will be quite the test, as they battle the competition's defending champions Cruz Azul.
Unfortunately, the famed Estadio Azteca, where Cruz Azul normally play their home matches, is under construction ahead of hosting World Cup matches in 2026. The current targeted reopening is set for March 28, 2026.
Estadio Olímpico Universitario, however, has plenty of history of its own. The home stadium of Pumas UNAM since 1952, it hosted four matches at the 1986 World Cup, including two featuring eventual winner Diego Maradona and Argentina, and a round of 16 clash between Michel Platini's France and Italy. Cavalry FC played their away leg at the stadium last year in Concacaf against Pumas.
For Forge, meanwhile, after hosting Tigres at Hamilton Stadium on Feb. 3, will travel to Estadio Universitario de la UANL in Nuevo León. Known as 'El Volcán', it is the fourth historic Mexican venue Forge will have competed in, after playing in each of the country's three stadiums that will host World Cup matches in 2026 in previous Champions Cups.
Finally, Atlético Ottawa make their Champions Cup debut at Hamilton Stadium due to renovations at TD Place. They then travel down to Nashville to play at Geodis Park on Feb. 24 in the away leg.