By The Canadian Press

Stadium renos force Atletico Ottawa to shift CONCACAF Champions Cup game to Hamilton

Dec 12, 2025 | 3:04 PM

Atletico Ottawa will shift its CONCACAF Champions Cup first-round game with Nashville SC to Forge FCs Hamilton Stadium due to renovations at Ottawa’s TD Place Stadium.

The Canadian Premier League champion will face the MLS side in the first leg Feb. 17 in Hamilton, with the rematch Feb. 24 at Geodis Park in Nashville.

Forge, which qualified by topping the CPL regular-season standings, will host Mexico’s Tigres on Feb. 3 with the second leg Feb. 10 at Estadio Universitario in Monterrey.

Vancouver FC will entertain Mexico’s Cruz Azul at Willoughby Stadium in suburban Langley on Feb. 4 before heading south to play the seven-time champions powerhouse on Feb. 12 at Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City.

The Vancouver Whitecaps, who lost to Cruz Azul in the 2025 final, will play CS Cartaginés on Feb. 18 at Estadio Fello Meza in Cartago before hosting the Costa Rican side on Feb. 25 at B.C. Place Stadium.

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The four Canadians teams are among the 22 taking part in the first round of CONCACAF’s elite club competition.

Five teams were given byes to the round of 16 — Jamaica’s Mount Pleasant (as Caribbean Cup champion), Costa Rica’s Alajuelense (Central American Cup), Mexico’s Toluca (Liga MX) and Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders (Leagues Cup) and Inter Miami CF (MLS Cup).

It’s a first trip to the CONCACAF tournament for Atletico Ottawa and Vancouver FC. It’s Forge’s fourth appearance at the tournament.

Vancouver FC finished last in the CPL at 4-15-9. But it qualified for CONCACAF’s elite club competition by making the Canadian Championship final.

While the CONCACAF berth goes to the Canadian Championship winner and Vancouver FC lost 4-2 to the Whitecaps on Oct. 1, the CPL side got the nod because the Whitecaps had already qualified through their finish in the MLS standings.

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 12, 2025.

The Canadian Press