Cruz Azul will host Necaxa on Sunday, April 26, 2026, at Estadio Banorte in Jornada 17 of the Liga MX Clausura 2026, a match that comes after Cruz Azul changed coaches for the penultimate round of the regular tournament. The teams arrive on different footing, with Cruz Azul on 30 points and Necaxa on 18.
Cruz Azul comes in after tying its most recent match against Querétaro, while Necaxa also drew its last game, against Chivas. The home side has suffered only one defeat under the lights at Estadio Cuauhtémoc, and it will be looking to use that edge as it tries to secure a better place in the Liguilla.
Necaxa no longer has a chance to qualify for the Liguilla, but it still has reason to push on the final stretch. With five victories in the regular phase, the club is playing to improve its position in the standings and finish the tournament with dignity.
The meeting also carries a sense of return for Cruz Azul, which is back at Estadio Banorte, a venue where the club once played and won titles. That setting gives the match a little more weight than the table alone would suggest, especially for a team trying to steady itself after the coaching change and a draw in Querétaro.
For Necaxa, the margin for reward has already closed. For Cruz Azul, Sunday is about turning a late-season home date into something more useful before the regular tournament ends.
