Inter Miami CF hosted Cruz Azul in the 2026 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup on Wednesday, Sept. 16, with kickoff set for 8 p.m. ET at Nu Stadium. It was a trophy night built around Lionel Messi, who had scored in a 2-2 home draw against Nashville SC days earlier and reached 99 goals across all competitions for Inter Miami CF.
That draw also carried Inter Miami into the match with some momentum, even if an own goal helped salvage the point. The club was also moving through a transition on the sideline, with Cristian “Kily” González completing the necessary work documentation and holding his first official training session as head coach before the match. His contract runs through June 2028, and the timing made the Champions Cup feel like both a title game and an early test of the new era.
The Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup is a one-match, winner-takes-all clash between the reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF and the reigning LIGA MX champion. This edition at Nu Stadium was billed as the eighth, even though it was scheduled for Sept. 16, a date that makes the 2026 label read like a forward-looking competition tag rather than a calendar year attached to the night itself. In the first seven Campeones Cup iterations, LIGA MX had four wins to MLS’s three victories, which gave the matchup an edge that went beyond a single trophy.
For fans trying to get in, the details were as important as the date. A limited number of single-match tickets remained available, parking lots were set to open at 4 p.m. ET, and single-match parking passes were only available on the Yellow Lot after the Audi Black Lot and the Red Lot sold out. Inter Miami CF also offered a $10 roundtrip Tri-Rail ticket to the Miami Intermodal Center for remaining 2026 matches at Nu Stadium, with a $10 food and beverage credit redeemable at Guest Services outside Section 101.
The night pointed to a simple next step: Inter Miami CF and Cruz Azul were set to meet on a stage that would answer whether Messi’s form, González’s first day in charge and a packed home crowd could turn a September one-off into a title.
