América will return to Estadio Banorte to face Cruz Azul. Both teams will feature new players who will be playing at the stadium for the first time. Estadio Banorte is preparing to host matches in the future.
Players New to Estadio Banorte
Twelve players from both sides will be making their debut at Estadio Banorte in this match. These players have either recently joined Mexican football or turned professional during the stadium’s closure.
Four América players who have featured in the Clausura 2026 tournament have never played at Estadio Banorte. These are all recent signings for the club.
The Brazilian players Raphael Veiga and Vinicius Lima, and Uruguay’s Thiago Espinosa, arrived at América in the last year. They had not signed for the club when the official team photo was taken.
Isaías Violante has been to Estadio Banorte as an opponent with Toluca. However, he never played in those matches. He only played against América at Toluca’s home ground, Estadio Nemesio Diez. It seems Violante will finally play a Liga MX match at Estadio Banorte.
Cruz Azul’s New Faces at the Stadium
Nicolás Larcamón has used 22 players in the Clausura 2026, and eight of them have not played at Estadio Banorte. Many of these players arrived in Liga MX or debuted in the Primera División after the stadium closed for refurbishment.
Agustín Palavecino joined Necaxa in the Apertura 2024, the first tournament without Estadio Banorte. He then moved to Cruz Azul in Clausura 2026, where the club also signed Christian Ebere. Luka Romero signed for Cruz Azul in Clausura 2025, and is also yet to play at the Coloso de Santa Úrsula.
Three Cruz Azul players who have played minutes in Clausura 2026 debuted during the stadium’s closure. These players are Jaziel Mendoza (August 2025), Jorge Rodarte (September 2025) and Rogelio González (January 2026).
José Paradela and Amaury García were in Liga MX before Estadio Banorte closed. However, neither player has played at the stadium.
League Standings and Liguilla Qualification
- América are currently 7th in the league table.
- They are still competing for a place in the liguilla.
- Cruz Azul have mathematically secured their place in the liguilla.
After being away for over a year, América are returning to Estadio Banorte to host Cruz Azul. Cruz Azul will also return to the Coloso de Santa Úrsula eventually.