A Shakira Concert Forced Monterrey to Moved Their Concacaf Champions Cup Match | OneFootball

CF Monterrey hosts Vancouver Whitecaps in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 tie, but they'll do so away from their home at the Estadio BBVA, with the team being forced to change the venue and play at Santos Laguna's Estadio Corona.

Why? Because world-famous pop-star Shakira is performing the first of two back-to-back concerts at Monterrey's home. The Estadio BBVA has become a regular stop for some of the biggest artists on the planet and in 2026 it will also become a FIFA World Cup host venue.

The scheduling conflict left Monterrey needing to pivot quickly to find an alternative home for their second leg clash. The most obvious option was to play at Tigres' Estadio Universitario, giving Rayados the ability to stay put in Monterrey for the match. However, that idea was quickly dismissed, given the bitter rivalry against the city neighbors.

Realistically, Monterrey looked to have the game played in Mexico City. Martín Demichelis' side drew 1–1 vs. Cruz Azul in Mexico's capital last weekend, so they looked for options to stay in the city a few extra days to host Vancouver in Mexico City's altitude.

That plan failed to materialize given that both Mexico City stadiums would be used in mid-week Concacaf Champions Cup matches. Cruz Azul hosted Seattle Sounders at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario and Club América hosts Chivas at the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes. The Estadio Azteca, remains closed as renovations continue to have the legendary stadium ready for the 2026 World Cup.

A decision was finally taken to utilize the Estadio Corona in Torreon, Mexico. In the heart of the desert, Rayados will hope to advance to the quarterfinals.

The Whitecaps aren's strangers to having to look for alternative homes. The MLS outfit had to play in Utah for a chunk of the 2021 season given the closed Canada-USA border in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. When they were scheduled to return home, they had to wait a little longer because their home, BC Place, hosted an interactive family event called "Wings and Wizards."

With the tie currently level at 1–1, the former Real Madrid captain will look to help Rayados make it a clean sweep for Liga MX teams vs. MLS sides in the Champions Cup round of 16.