La Gloriosa Liga Mx: The Glorious Liga Mx
The Beginner's Guide to First Division Mexican Football
So you've discovered Mexico's first division. Whether you heard from a friend, accidentally stumbled upon it, or love soccer so much you had to add another league to your watching list; the Liga Mx delivers excitement to every football fan.
The Liga MX is one of the most popular football leagues in North America, boasting 76.8 million viewers between Mexico and the United States. The Liga MX is one of the few Non-European leagues that are popular outside of its country. So if you are intent on deciphering its popularity, here is a beginner's guide to "La Gloriosa Liga MX."
17 GAMES, 2 SUB-SEASONS
The Mexican soccer league does things a bit differently. Whereas most leagues have one season, the Mexican league has two, seventeen-game seasons. At the end of each season, twelve out of the seventeen teams are eligible to qualify for the playoffs. The top four teams qualify directly for the playoffs, while the subsequent 8 teams participate in a single-game elimination match to determine the last four teams join the playoffs. This is a new format that was recently instated as of 2020. The final eight teams participate in two-legged playoff matches where a champion is crowned at the end.
"Los Cuatro Grandes: The Big Four"
As with any league, there are a select set of teams with more history, popularity, and fans, than the rest of the teams. The first is Mexico City’s Club America, with 13 League titles since its birth in 1916. Club America is the team with most league titles and international titles in the Liga MX. Closely following is Guadalajara’s Chivas with 12 titles under its belt. They are considered Mexico’s most popular football team. Next is Cruz Azul, who recently won its 10th league title last year, ending the agonizing 23-year drought. Last on the list is Pumas, who alongside Club America and Cruz Azul reside in Mexico City. Pumas is one of the two teams that have managed to win back-to-back league titles since the inception of the current format. These fours teams are revered as the big four due to their extensive history and great success, both domestically and internationally. Needless to say, the intense rivalry between these four teams results in passionate games whenever they meet.
It’s Anybody’s Game
The Liga MX is known for its competitiveness and unpredictability. Its two-tournament playoff format paves the way for thrilling games throughout the tournament, as the 17 teams compete to qualify for the playoffs. It’s anybody’s guess as to who will win each season. At the time of writing this, the current champions are Atlas F.C., a team that had to endure a 70-year title drought before winning their league title last winter. The champions before that, Cruz Azul, ended their 23-year title drought when they beat Santos Laguna F.C. at the mythical Estadio Azteca one year ago. The current league leaders, Club Puebla are currently living a dream start to the tournament with a 7-game unbeaten streak. What’s more impressive is that they are the team with the lowest budget in the tournament. If you enjoy rooting for the underdog, the Liga MX is guaranteed to deliver memorable moments.
While these are some of the most important things to know before you delve into the Liga MX, there are more traditions and rich cultures behind every club and city that make each game very special. I certainly hope I have given you enough reasons to give this league a try. It can be confusing at first but once you get the hang of the format, you will find yourself understanding why it is one of the most popular leagues in North America. Thank you for reading.
