Cruz Azul FC - Puebla FC live - Football

Cruz Azul FC, the reigning Liga MX champions following their Clausura 2026 triumph, take on Puebla FC in Matchday 2 of the Apertura 2026 season, with kick-off set for Wednesday 22 July 2026 at 02:00 BST. La Máquina enter this clash on the back of a 3-2 comeback win at Atlético San Luis, while Puebla opened their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Juárez. Historically, Cruz Azul hold the upper hand, winning 4 of the last 6 encounters between the two sides.

Match Info: Cruz Azul FC vs Puebla FC

Cruz Azul FC face Puebla FC on Wednesday, 22 July 2026 at 02:00 BST as part of Matchday 2 of the Liga MX Apertura 2026 season.

Where to Watch Cruz Azul FC vs Puebla FC?

Fans in the United States can follow the clash between Cruz Azul and Puebla through two online streaming platforms: TUDN.com and VIX. Both services are available to viewers across the US and provide live coverage via internet connection.

US viewers also have the option of watching on television via TUDN USA, which regularly broadcasts Liga MX fixtures and is widely available in cable and satellite packages serving Spanish-speaking audiences.

In Mexico and Puerto Rico, the match is available exclusively through VIX online, the go-to streaming service for Liga MX content in those markets.

Match between Cruz Azul FC and Puebla FC - Preview

This Liga MX meeting pits the reigning champions against a Puebla side seeking a fresh start under coach Gerardo Espinoza, with both clubs coming off contrasting opening-day results in the Apertura 2026.

Cruz Azul bring the full weight of their Clausura 2026 title into this fixture. The iconic 3-2 comeback in San Luis on 17 July - overturning a two-goal deficit with goals from Gabriel Fernández and a brace from Jeremy Márquez - showed that coach Joel Huiqui's side has lost none of its resilience from last season. That title run featured a dramatic semi-final exit of Guadalajara and a last-gasp 2-1 win over Pumas UNAM in the Final second leg, with Rodolfo Rotondi scoring in the 90th+5 minute to crown Cruz Azul Liga MX champions for the tenth time in their history.

Puebla, on the other hand, arrive having shown heart despite limited resources. Their 1-0 win at FC Juárez on Matchday 1, courtesy of Ignacio Maestro Puch's 11th-minute strike, was all the more impressive given they played over 30 minutes a man down. However, La Franja's 4 consecutive Liga MX defeats at the close of the Clausura 2026 serve as a reminder of the gap between these two clubs at this stage of the season.

Head-to-Head: Cruz Azul FC vs Puebla FC

Cruz Azul have historically dominated this fixture: across 45 meetings since 2004, La Máquina have claimed 19 wins against Puebla's 12, with 14 draws - a record that underlines just how lopsided this rivalry has been over the past two decades.

Here are the most recent direct encounters between the two sides:

• 18 January 2026 - Liga MX Clausura 2026 - Cruz Azul 1-0 Puebla
• 31 October 2025 - Liga MX Apertura 2025 - Puebla 0-3 Cruz Azul
• 25 January 2025 - Liga MX Clausura 2025 - Cruz Azul 1-1 Puebla
• 18 October 2024 - Liga MX Apertura 2024 - Puebla 1-2 Cruz Azul
• 12 April 2024 - Liga MX Clausura 2024 - Puebla 0-1 Cruz Azul
• 12 November 2023 - Liga MX Apertura 2023 - Cruz Azul 1-2 Puebla

Cruz Azul FC - Recent Form

Cruz Azul enter the Apertura 2026 as the form team in Mexico - the Clausura 2026 champions have already shown in San Luis that they are ready to defend their crown with the same competitive spirit that carried them to the title.

La Máquina's Clausura 2026 campaign culminated in one of the most memorable Liga MX finals in recent memory. After drawing 0-0 in the first leg at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, Cruz Azul trailed 0-1 at half-time in the second leg at Estadio Olímpico Universitario. Rotondi's 90th+5 strike turned the match on its head and wrote Cruz Azul into history. That title run also saw Cruz Azul eliminate Guadalajara in the semi-finals - drawing 2-2 in the first leg and winning 2-1 on the road in the return.

The Apertura 2026 opener confirmed La Máquina's attacking intent: down 0-2 at Atlético San Luis, they turned the game around to win 3-2, with Fernández and Márquez (twice) providing the goals. Under coach Huiqui - who recorded 5 wins and 2 draws in 7 liguilla matches before lifting the trophy - Cruz Azul has both the squad depth and the mental fortitude to sustain another title challenge.

Puebla FC - Recent Form

Puebla FC arrive at this fixture on mixed form - a promising Apertura 2026 opener notwithstanding, the final months of the Clausura 2026 were a difficult period for La Franja, who ended the regular season outside the top eight.

The closing stretch of Clausura 2026 was particularly harsh for Puebla: they dropped all 4 of their last Liga MX matches in that tournament. A 5-0 hammering at Guadalajara in Matchday 15 was the low point, followed by a 2-1 defeat at Monterrey and a final-day 1-2 loss at home to Querétaro in Matchday 17. At the other end of the table in terms of effort, the 1-0 win over FC Juárez to open the Apertura 2026 - Maestro Puch's early goal holding up despite 30-plus minutes with 10 men - offers at least a psychological foothold heading into this tougher test against the champions.

Facts and Statistics

The rivalry between Cruz Azul and Puebla FC is one shaped by persistent Blue Machine dominance, yet punctuated by enough upsets from La Franja to keep this fixture genuinely unpredictable. With Cruz Azul's tenth title fresh in mind and Puebla looking to stabilise under new management, this Matchday 2 fixture carries meaningful early-season weight for both clubs.

• Across 45 meetings since 2004, Cruz Azul have won 19, Puebla 12, and 14 have ended level - Cruz Azul's win rate in this fixture stands at 42%.
• In the last 6 direct encounters, Cruz Azul have won 4, drawn 1, and lost 1, scoring 10 goals and conceding 4.
• Puebla's largest-ever win in this fixture is a 6-2 victory recorded in December 2009.
• Cruz Azul's Clausura 2026 title was their tenth Liga MX championship and their first in five years.
• Puebla played over 30 minutes with 10 men in their 1-0 Apertura 2026 opener but still held on for the clean sheet and all three points.