After losing to Flamengo, does Cruz Azul play again in the Intercontinental Cup?

The Copa Libertadores champion proved to be too big a challenge for the CONCACAF Champions Cup winner. On Wednesday in the city of Al Rayyan, Qatar, Flamengo edged Cruz Azul with a 2-1 victory. The match started on the wrong foot for the Mexico City side after a costly mistake by Gonzalo Piovi in the 14th minute, which led to Giorgian De Arrascaeta’s opening goal for the Brazilians.

A stunning strike from Jorge Sánchez then leveled the score and gave Cruz Azul a glimmer of hope - but in the second half, reality set in.

After a perfectly weighted through ball to De Arrascaeta, Piovi came up big with a timely intervention, but the rebound fell right back to Flamengo’s Uruguayan midfielder. Rotondi cleared off the line at the last possible moment, yet goal-line technology confirmed the ball had fully crossed.

2025 concludes for Cruz Azul

The tournament format leaves La Máquina with no chance to play another match. Another casualty in the early rounds, Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli, also bowed out after a quick exit at the hands of Egypt’s Pyramids. Both teams now say goodbye to the competition. The next clash, dubbed the “Challenger Cup,” will pit Flamengo against Pyramids, with the winner earning the honor of facing Paris Saint-Germain in the final.

For Cruz Azul, it’s the end of a bittersweet year. Despite highs and lows, they lifted the CONCACAF Champions Cup this summer but fell short in Liga MX. In the Apertura, they were knocked out in the semifinals by Tigres, and in the Clausura, they stumbled again at the same stage - this time against Club América.

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