Liga MX

Liga MX is the top professional football division in Mexico, organized by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol. The league operates on an annual calendar split into two short tournaments: the Apertura, running from July to December, and the Clausura, from January to May. Each tournament features a regular season where 18 clubs play 17 matches, followed by an eight-team knockout playoff known as the liguilla, which determines the champion. This format, introduced in 1996, produces two champions per year and has been adopted by several other leagues in the Americas.

The league draws the largest average crowds of any football league in the Americas and the third-highest among all professional sports leagues in North America. During the 2014–15 season, average attendance reached 25,557 per match. Liga MX is consistently ranked as the strongest league in the CONCACAF region and was rated the 10th strongest league in the world by the IFFHS for the first decade of the 21st century. Its matches are cultural events, with fans bringing food, music, and regional traditions into the stands.

Club América holds the record for most championships with 16 titles, followed by Guadalajara and Cruz Azul. The league's all-time top scorer is Evanivaldo Castro, known as Cabinho, with 312 goals, and the player with the most appearances is Óscar Pérez, who played 745 matches. Since 2020, promotion and relegation have been suspended, a structural change that has drawn both support and criticism. [edit]

The league was founded on October 17, 1943, as the Liga Mayor, replacing the amateur and regional competitions that had existed since 1902. Ten clubs formed the original lineup: Club América, Asturias, Atlante, Real España, Marte, Atlas, Guadalajara, Orizaba, Veracruz, and Moctezuma. Only Atlas, América, Guadalajara, and Necaxa (which joined later) still compete in Liga MX today. The first champion was Asturias, who defeated Real España 4-1 in a playoff final after finishing the regular season in second place. Spanish forward Isidro Lángara of Real España scored 27 goals that season, a record for the inaugural campaign.

In 1949, the league was renamed the Primera División de México. Guadalajara dominated the 1950s and 1960s, winning eight titles in two decades. The 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico spurred the FMF to adjust the league format to capitalize on the sport's growing popularity. In 1996, the league adopted the two-tournament system, originally called Invierno and Verano, later rebranded as Apertura and Clausura. This change was driven by a desire to increase competitive intensity and revenue, and it has since influenced other leagues in North and South America.

The league underwent a major rebranding in 2012, adopting the name Liga MX along with a new logo and a marketing campaign that emphasized the league's identity. This period also saw increased investment in South American talent, raising the overall quality of play. In 2020, the FMF suspended promotion and relegation due to financial pressures from the COVID-19 pandemic, a policy that remains in place. [edit]

Liga MX is deeply embedded in Mexican culture. Matches are community events where fans gather to eat, drink, and celebrate regional identity. The league's rivalries, such as the Clásico Nacional between América and Guadalajara and the Clásico Joven between Cruz Azul and América, draw massive television audiences and often dominate sports conversation. The Clásico Joven alone has produced seven championship finals, the most between any two Mexican clubs. The league's influence extends beyond Mexico's borders, particularly in the United States, where it is the most-watched football league among Hispanic audiences. The Leagues Cup, a joint competition with MLS launched in 2019, has further expanded the league's reach, with the 2026 edition scheduled to include matches in Mexico for the first time. [edit]

The suspension of promotion and relegation since 2020 has been a point of contention. Critics argue that it removes competitive incentive and harms the integrity of the league structure. Some clubs in the Ascenso MX have struggled financially without the prospect of promotion, leading to calls for the system's reinstatement. Additionally, the league's two-tournament format has drawn debate, with some purists preferring a single annual champion. [edit]