Lionel Messi is three matches away from hoisting another trophy.
Inter Miami and the Vancouver Whitecaps – two of the best Major League Soccer teams during the early part of the 2025 season – will compete in the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals on April 24 and April 30.
Vancouver leads the MLS Supporter’s Shield standings with 20 points (six wins, one loss, two draws), while Inter Miami – which won the Shield last season – is third in the MLS Eastern Conference and fourth overall with 18 points (five wins, three draws).
Vancouver will host the first leg of the semifinal at BC Place on April 24, before Inter Miami hosts the second leg at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
LIGA MX clubs Tigres UANL and Cruz Azul will meet in the other semifinal on April 23 and May 1.
The winners of each semifinal will meet in the Concacaf Champions Cup final on June 1.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals:
How to watch Champions Cup semifinal matches on TV, live stream?
You can watch the matches on FS1 in English, and TUDN, UniMás or ViX in Spanish.
When are the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal first leg matches?
April 23: Tigres UNAL vs. Cruz Azul, 10 p.m. ET
April 24: Vancouver vs. Inter Miami, 10:30 p.m. ET
When are the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal second leg matches?
April 30: Inter Miami vs. Vancouver, 8 p.m. ET
May 1: Cruz Azul vs. UANL, 10 p.m. ET
Messi, Inter Miami vs. Vancouver preview
Messi has been scoreless in his last two matches: A 1-0 win vs. Columbus Crew on April 19, and a scoreless draw against Chicago on April 13. But he delivered the dramatics, scoring two goals with an assist on April 9 to help Inter Miami advance past Los Angeles FC 3-2 on aggregate the quarterfinals. Inter Miami also beat Sporting Kansas City and Jamaica Cavalier during this Champions Cup run.
Former USMNT striker Brian White leads Vancouver with 10 goals in 14 matches overall, while new coach Jesper Sørensen’s impact has already been felt. Vancouver has ousted two LIGA MX clubs during its Champions Cup run, with Tristan Blackmon’s tie-breaking goal propelling the Whitecaps against Pumas UNAM in the quarterfinals. They also beat Monterrey in the round of 16, and Costa Rica’s Deportivo Saprissa in the first round.
Tigres UANL vs. Cruz Azul preview
Ángel Sepúlveda is the Champions Cup Golden Boot leader with six goals, while Cruz Azul boasts three former MLS standouts in Mateusz Bogusz (LAFC), Omar Campos (LAFC) and striker Giorgos Giakoumakis (Atlanta United). Cruz Azul ousted Club América in the quarterfinals, the Seattle Sounders in the Round-of-16, and Haiti’s Real Hope in the first round.
Tigres has eliminated Nicaragua’s Real Estelí in the first round, then ousted MLS standout FC Cincinnati in the round-of-16, and the defending champion L.A. Galaxy in the quarterfinals.
When is the Concacaf Champions Cup final?
The Concacaf Champions Cup final will be played on June 1. It will be a single match in the final, instead of the two-match format in earlier rounds.
Concacaf Champions Cup winner gets $5 million prize
The winner of the Concacaf Champions Cup will earn $5 million in financial distributions and prize money. They will also receive a berth to the 2025 FIFA Intercontinental Cup and 2029 FIFA Club World Cup.
