Contents
History of Liga MX / Mexican Primera División
Early / amateur era (1900-1943)
Organised football in Mexico began in the early 20th century with regional amateur leagues, particularly in Mexico City. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) was formed in 1922 to be the main organising body. One of its first actions was the creation of the Campeonato de Primera Fuerza, which was the first national-level amateur league. For many years, most teams were from Mexico City, and the league structure was mostly local.
Professionalisation & formation of the national league (1943-1950s)
In 1943, a group of clubs broke away from the amateur setup, and the Liga Mayor was created. This marked the start of professional football at a national top-flight level. The original professional league had about ten founding clubs, including Club América and Guadalajara. The league’s first season was won by Asturias. In this early phase, rules around foreign players and player contracts began to be formalised.
Growth, expansion & consolidation (1950s-1970s)
Teams from outside Mexico City began to win, with Veracruz becoming the first champion from outside the capital in 1945-46. The league grew, and many clubs from different states became more competitive. The Liguilla, a playoff-style championship, was introduced to make the competition more exciting. These changes, which also included group stages, became common through the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Modern era: short tournaments, branding & recent changes (1990s-present)
– Introduction of short tournaments: In 1996, Mexico moved away from long, season-long tournaments to two shorter ones a year. They were originally called Invierno (winter) and Verano (summer). Later, in 2002, they were renamed Apertura (opening) and Clausura (closing). Each tournament now has its own champion.
– Suspension of promotion & relegation: In 2020, promotion and relegation between Liga MX and the second tier was suspended. This was done because of the financial problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This change is planned to last until 2026.
– Rebranding & management changes: In 2012, the Primera División was officially rebranded as Liga MX. Sponsorships became more prominent, and the league’s management and commercial structure have changed accordingly.
Recent & emerging trends
– Youth development rules: Rules have been introduced to encourage the development of home-grown Mexican players, such as No Formados en México (non-Mexican formed) and rules about playing time for young domestic players.
– Media, commercialisation, and international reach: Liga MX has seen a growth in foreign viewership, improved broadcasting deals, and has leveraged sponsorships to build its brand outside of Mexico.
– Format & playoff (liguilla) adjustments: There have been small changes over the years to how many teams make the liguilla and the format of the play-in rounds. The liguilla format itself has also evolved over time.
Competition format & recent changes
Split seasons: Apertura & Clausura
– Apertura (“opening”): This is one of two short tournaments that make up a Liga MX season. It usually runs from mid-year (July/August) until December.
– Clausura (“closing”): This is the second short tournament, which generally runs from January until May.
In each tournament, all 18 teams play each other once, which means there are 17 matches for each team.
Playoff phase: “Liguilla” and play-in
– Liguilla (final phase / playoffs): After the regular season, the top teams enter a knockout stage to decide the tournament champion. This includes quarter-finals, semi-finals, and a final.
– Play-in / reclassification: This is a set of matches used to decide the last two spots in the Liguilla. Teams that finish in 7th to 10th place in the regular season play against each other for these final spots.
– Direct qualification vs. play-in: The top six teams from the regular season go straight into the quarter-finals. The play-in round decides the final two teams that will join them.
Promotion & relegation: suspension & return
– Suspension of promotion & relegation: The system of automatically relegating struggling Liga MX teams and promoting top teams from the lower division was suspended in 2020. This was due to the financial disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
– Expected return in 2026-27 season: According to rulings from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the promotion and relegation system will officially return for the 2026-27 season.
– Certification / requirements for promotion: When the system returns, clubs from the lower division (Liga de Expansión MX) will need to meet certain standards for their stadiums, financial health, and administrative licensing to be eligible for promotion.
Tie-breakers, seeding & qualification for international / regional competitions
Tie-breaker rules within Liga MX standings
When two or more teams finish the regular season with the same number of points, Liga MX uses a set of rules to break the tie. These rules decide who gets a better seed for the playoffs, which teams go to the play-in round, and so on.
– Goal difference (total goals scored minus total goals conceded).
– Total goals scored.
– Head-to-head results between the tied teams.
– Goals scored away in head-to-head matches (when applicable).
– Additional criteria, such as fair play points.
Seeding and advancement in the final phases
– Play-in / reclassification: Teams that finish outside the top six (usually 7th to 10th places) play a round of matches to win the last spots for the knockout stage. If a play-in match is a draw after 90 minutes, it goes straight to a penalty shootout.
– Quarter-finals & semi-finals: These are two-legged ties. The team with the higher seed (the one that finished higher in the regular season) plays the second leg at home. If the scores are tied after both legs, the team with the better seeding advances without extra time. The away goals rule is not always used.
– Final: The final is also a two-legged tie. However, if the aggregate score is tied after both legs, they go to extra time and, if needed, penalties. The team with the better seeding still gets to play the second leg at home.
Qualification for international / regional competitions
– CONCACAF Champions Cup: Several spots are given to the top-performing teams in Liga MX, such as the champions and runners-up of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments.
– Leagues Cup: This is a competition that involves teams from both Liga MX and MLS. Qualification is based on a team’s ranking and performance in the Liga MX tournaments. In 2025, all 18 Liga MX teams will take part.
Rivalries & notable players / legends
Major rivalries (derbies / “clásicos”)
– El súper clásico (national derby): This is a fiery match between Club América and Club Guadalajara (Chivas). It’s often considered the most important rivalry in Mexican football, representing a cultural, social, and sporting clash between the two most popular clubs in the country.
– Clásico regio: One of the fiercest regional derbies, this is a match between C.F. Monterrey and Tigres UANL. It’s all about intense local pride in the city of Monterrey.
– Clásico joven: This match is between Club América and Cruz Azul. It’s another big rivalry in Mexico City, named “young” in comparison to other, older derbies.
– Clásico tapatío: The oldest derby in Guadalajara is between Atlas and Chivas. The rivalry is all about local identity, as both clubs share the same city.
– There are other rivalries based on regions and history, with many of them being rooted in geography, social class, and historical success.
Notable players & legends / top scorers
– Hugo Sánchez: Widely regarded as one of Mexico’s greatest-ever players. He had a prolific goalscoring record and made a huge impact in Liga MX before going to Europe.
– André-Pierre Gignac: A foreign player who has become a legend in Liga MX. He is a prolific scorer with Tigres and is an iconic figure for the club.
– Vicente Pereda: A long-serving forward and club legend for Toluca, known for his strong scoring record.
– There are many other players who have won the top scorer award in different tournaments over the decades, with many of them maintaining a high scoring rate over multiple seasons.
Sportmonks: profile & capabilities
What is Sportmonks
– Core identity & mission: Sportmonks is a sports data provider founded in 2016. Its mission is to deliver high-quality, real-time sports data that is reliable, fast, and easy to use.
– Scale & reach: Sportmonks currently supports over 2,300 football leagues and tournaments worldwide. We handle billions of API requests every month and maintain a very high uptime of around 99.98% for their APIs.
Key products & features
– Football API: This is our main product for football data. It provides live scores, fixtures, results, league tables, and match events in real time. It also offers historical data, squad and line-up information, and betting odds and predictions, depending on your plan.
– Statistics & advanced metrics: Sportmonks offers advanced data, such as xG (expected goals), shot types, and more, which helps with deeper analysis, predictive modelling, and scouting.
– Football API 3.0: The newer version of the Football API has several improvements. It includes more endpoints for things like transfers, referees, and schedules, as well as better rate limiting.
– Widgets & add-ons: We offer widgets that you can embed in your website for live scores and league tables. They also have tools for news and predictions, which are great for media sites and fan apps.
How Sportmonks data can support Liga MX use-cases
– Live match coverage / fan apps: Sportmonks offers real-time scores, event feeds, and line-ups. This means fans can get up-to-date match status, and developers can build alert systems.
– Historical & season-by-season analysis: The API provides past match data, seasonal league tables, and player statistics. This allows you to study trends over time and compare the current season to past ones.
– Performance metrics & advanced stats: You can get xG, expected goals on target, and shot types. This helps coaches, analysts, and media do a deeper tactical analysis.
– Fantasy / betting platforms: The Predictions API, odds feeds, and comprehensive player data allow you to build robust fantasy games and informed betting platforms.
– Media / content production: With widgets, news, and player profiles, you can efficiently create content for match previews and player insights.
Bring Liga MX closer with Sportmonks
Liga MX is one of the most exciting and competitive leagues in world football, and with Sportmonks you can cover it in detail from the opening whistle to the final of the Liguilla. Our Football API delivers live scores, fixtures, player and team statistics, historical data, odds, and predictive insights, making it ideal for fan platforms, betting solutions, scouting tools, and media coverage. Whether you want to analyse trends, track rivalries, or bring real-time match experiences to your audience, Sportmonks provides the accuracy, speed, and reliability you need. Start exploring the Sportmonks Football API today and elevate your Liga MX coverage.
Faqs about the Liga MX
