Update: Inter Miami won 2-0 to lift the Campeones Cup. See the full recap and match highlights here.
Inter Miami CF host Cruz Azul in the final of the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup on Wednesday, September 16, at Nu Stadium in Miami. The reigning MLS Cup champions face Liga MX’s reigning Campeon de Campeones in the eighth annual cross-border showdown, with kickoff set for 8:00 PM Eastern. One match, one trophy, and continental bragging rights on the line.
Here we will cover the different online live stream and TV channel viewing options for the Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul match.
How to Watch Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul
Match: Inter Miami CF vs Cruz Azul, 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup final.
Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
Kickoff: 8:00 PM Eastern (local, Miami), 7:00 PM Central, 5:00 PM Pacific.
Venue: Nu Stadium, Miami, Florida.
The Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul match will be broadcast at 8:00 PM Eastern:
TV Channel: USA: not televised on traditional TV. Mexico: not televised on traditional TV.
Online Live Stream: USA: Apple TV (MLS Season Pass). Mexico: Apple TV (MLS Season Pass). Latin America and worldwide: Apple TV. Alternative English-language stream: Cooligans on Yahoo!.
For the full season beyond this final, see our 2026 watch guide for where to watch Liga MX, El Tri, and South American club soccer from the USA.
Recent Form
Inter Miami’s last five matches have all come in MLS: three consecutive draws, 2-2 against Nashville SC at home on September 12, 1-1 at the Chicago Fire on September 9, and 2-2 against Atlanta United at home on September 5, followed the 7-1 demolition of CF Montreal on August 29 and a 1-2 home defeat to Toronto FC on August 22. That is one win, three draws and one defeat, with 13 goals scored and eight conceded.
The last four home games produced scorelines of 2-2, 2-2, 7-1 and 1-2. Miami sit near the top of the Eastern Conference on 45 points, but are leaking goals at an alarming rate.
Cruz Azul arrive in excellent spirits. La Maquina have won three straight: the 4-3 Clasico Joven win over America on September 13, a 1-0 home win over Santos on September 7, and a 3-1 win at Necaxa on August 29. Before that came a 0-2 home defeat to Atlas and a 2-1 loss at Tijuana. That is three wins and two defeats, with nine goals scored and eight conceded.
On the road, Cruz Azul won 3-1 at Necaxa but lost 2-1 at Tijuana in their last two away league games. They sit fourth in Liga MX. The momentum clearly belongs to the Mexicans: three straight wins and the high of Saturday’s Clasico Joven, against a Miami side winless in four.
Team News
Inter Miami remain without Tadeo Allende (long-term injury), Mateo Silvetti (shoulder) and Santiago Morales (quad). Sergio Reguilon and Micael face late fitness checks after sitting out the Nashville draw. Lionel Messi, the back-to-back MLS MVP, has 19 goals and 13 assists this season and has been involved in a goal in seven straight league games. Luis Suarez has reached double-digit goals for a third consecutive season. Cristian ‘Kily’ Gonzalez makes his debut in the dugout tonight, having arrived in Miami on Tuesday after being appointed head coach in late August. He succeeds Guillermo Hoyos, who had led the club since Javier Mascherano stepped down in April.
Cruz Azul are without Amaury Morales, out with a cruciate ligament tear, while Mateo Levy is doubtful with a meniscus problem. Gonzalo Piovi has returned from a hamstring injury and Carlos Rotondi is back in training after plantar fasciitis. The man of the moment is Jose Paradela: two goals and four assists in eight Apertura appearances, including a goal and two assists against America on Saturday. Nicolas Ibanez, Gabriel Fernandez and the now-eligible Christian Ebere compete to lead the line.
Predicted Lineups
Predicted, via Sports Mole.
Inter Miami: St. Clair; Fray, Casemiro, Micael, Reguilon; De Paul, Bright, Segovia; Suarez, Messi, Berterame.
Cruz Azul: Mier; Marquez, Ditta, Orozco, Piovi, Campos; Rotondi, Lira, Rodriguez; Ibanez, Ebere.
Match Preview: What to Watch
When they last met, on July 21, 2023, Messi came off the bench on his Inter Miami debut and curled a 94th-minute free kick over the Cruz Azul wall to win 2-1 in the Leagues Cup. La Maquina have waited three years for revenge on the biggest stage in this rivalry.
This is the eighth Campeones Cup, and Liga MX leads the series 4-3 after Toluca beat the LA Galaxy 3-2 in 2025. Inter Miami are making their debut in the competition and can lift a trophy for a fourth consecutive season, following the Leagues Cup in 2023, the Supporters’ Shield in 2024 and MLS Cup in 2025. Cruz Azul are back for the first time since losing the 2021 final 2-0 to the Columbus Crew, and a win would complete a 2026 treble of the Clausura title, the Campeon de Campeones and this cup.
The key battle is Messi, Suarez and German Berterame, the Mexico international facing a Liga MX giant, against a Cruz Azul defense that conceded three to America on Saturday. At the other end, Paradela, the Apertura’s most in-form creator, will test a Miami back line with one clean sheet in five. Two of the last three Campeones Cup finals were decided on penalties, so a tight night could go the distance.
Prediction
Inter Miami 2-1 Cruz Azul. Messi has decided this fixture before, and at home with a trophy on the line, the Herons’ attack should have just enough to edge La Maquina’s momentum.
