The Vancouver Whitecaps get their 2025 season underway on Thursday, as they visit Costa Rica to face Deportivo Saprissa in Leg 1 of the Concacaf Champions Cup’s opening round.

It won’t be the ‘Caps’ first time in the competition, previously taking part in four editions, most recently in 2024.

In this article, we’ll relive all of the Whitecaps’ participation in the Champions Cup, starting with the 2015/2016 season.

2015-2016: Group stage

After qualifying as the best-ranked Canadian team in the 2014 MLS regular season, the Vancouver Whitecaps finished last in their group, which included Cascadia rivals Seattle Sounders and Honduran giants Olimpia.

They started with a 1-1 draw against Seattle at BC Place before defeating Olimpia at home. Despite having the advantage thanks to their game in hand, the Whitecaps lost both remaining away games, finishing third in the group with four points.

2016-2017: Semi-finals

Qualifying for the tournament for a second straight year—this time as 2015 Canadian Championship winners—the Vancouver Whitecaps had a much stronger showing than in their debut.

Drawn alongside Sporting Kansas City and Trinidadian club Central F.C., the 'Caps cruised through the group stage with a perfect record. In the quarter-finals, they defeated the New York Red Bulls 3-1 on aggregate to reach the semis, where their run ended with a 4-1 aggregate loss to Tigres.

2023: Quarter-finals

The Whitecaps returned to the region’s top competition after a five-year absence, starting strong with a dominant 7-3 aggregate win over Honduran side Real España in the Round of 16.

However, their run came to an abrupt end in the quarter-finals, where they suffered back-to-back 3-0 defeats to LAFC, crashing out with a 6-0 aggregate loss.

2024: Preliminary round

The Vancouver Whitecaps got a tough draw in Round One, facing Tigres once again.

With BC Place unavailable, the first leg was played at Starlight Stadium, where the ‘Caps held the Mexican giants to a 1-1 draw after a late equalizer from Gignac.

However, Tigres showed their class in the return leg, cruising to a 3-0 win in Mexico and knocking Vancouver out in the first round.

2025

For the third straight season, Vancouver is back in the Champions Cup.

They'll take on Costa Rican giants Deportivo Saprissa in a two-legged showdown, with the winner advancing to face Monterrey.

The first leg kicks off on Thursday, February 20, at 5 pm PT. Fans can catch the action on OneSoccer, FuboTV, or Telus Optik Channel 980.