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The Mexican top flight is considered one of the top leagues in the Americas, featuring several storied sides that spare no expense to compete for the league title every season.
Known today as Liga MX (often referred to as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship purposes), the league consists of 18 clubs which play split seasons called the Apertura (July to December) and Clausura (January to May). Both consist of 17 regular season matches that are followed by a playoff format which crowns an Apertura and Clausura champion.
The split season format has been in effect since 1996-97, and playoffs have been utilized since 1970-71. Before that, a traditional single-table league season was employed when the league turned professional in 1943-44.
The 2021-22 campaign saw Atlas of Guadalajara hoist both the Apertura and Clausura titles with their defend-and-counter playing style under Argentine manager Diego Cocca proving especially effective during the playoffs. Atlas were also one of the top performers during the regular season, finishing in 2nd and 3rd place in the Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022.
Club America and Pachuca were the leaders of the half-season tables, and Tigres UANL had the best combined points total across both Apertura and Clausura seasons, but all three clubs fell short in the playoffs.
The Sporting News brings you a full overview of the 2021-22 Liga MX season as well as a historical perspective on the recent league history.
Who is the Mexican champion in Liga MX?
The two-time defending Liga MX champion is Atlas, which hails from the city of Guadalajara. Los Zorros, as they’re nicknamed, ended a 70-year title drought when they won the 2021 Apertura, and then followed that up with a repeat performance in the 2022 Clausura. The back-to-back titles have many calling it the best Atlas team in the club’s long history.
It’s a squad built by Cocca which features a group of international stars alongside a handful of homegrown talent, and the combination has brought unprecedented success to the club. The rock-solid team structure devised by Cocca has made them hard to beat, and in turn, they rarely beat themselves with mistakes.
Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas is the undisputed starter behind Anderson Santamaria (Peru), Hugo Nervo (Argentina) and Ema Aguilera (Argentina), who eat up many of the minutes on the back line. Ecuadorean left (wing)back Anibal Chala has also proven to be a difference-maker as a two-way player.
Mexican club captain Aldo Rocha sets the tone with his fight and work rate in midfield, regularly supported by Atlas academy products Edgar Zaldivar, Jeremy Marquez, Luis Reyes, and Diego Barbosa. The latter two are wingbacks, who have operated plenty in the middle of the field.
The goals have typically been the purview of Colombian loanee forward Julian Quinones (11 goals) or talismanic Argentine striker Julio Furch (10 goals).
After getting past Monterrey (quarterfinals), Pumas (semifinals) and Leon (final) to win the Apertura 2021 title, Atlas took care of eternal rivals Chivas (quarterfinals), Tigres UANL (semifinals) and Pachuca (final) on the road to its latest championship. Pachuca and Tigres also happened to be the top two seeds during the Clausura regular season.
2022 Clausura
The 2022 Clausura regular season was topped by Pachuca, whose 38 points were good enough to finish clear of second-placed UNAL Tigres.
The top four finishers in the regular season are shown below.
| Position | Club | GP | Pts | W-L-D | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Pachuca | 17 | 38 | 12-3-2 | +15 |
| 2. | UNAL Tigres | 17 | 33 | 10-4-3 | +10 |
| 3. | Atlas | 17 | 27 | 7-4-6 | +6 |
| 4. | Club America | 17 | 26 | 7-5-5 | +7 |
The top four seeds met the four teams which emerged from the single-elimination play-in round. Here’s how the quarterfinals unfolded:
Quarterfinals — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 11, 2022 | Atletico San Luis 2-2 Pachuca | Highlights |
| May 11, 2022 | Puebla 1-1 Club America | Highlights |
| May 12, 2022 | Cruz Azul 0-1 Tigres UANL | Highlights |
| May 12, 2022 | Guadalajara 1-2 Atlas | Highlights |
Quarterfinals — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 14, 2022 | Club America 3-2 Puebla (America advance 4-3 on agg.) |
Highlights |
| May 14, 2022 | Pachuca 3-2 Atletico San Luis (Pachuca advance 5-4 on agg.) |
Highlights |
| May 15, 2022 | Atlas 1-1 Guadalajara (Atlas advance 3-2 on agg.) |
Highlights |
| May 15, 2022 | Tigres UANL 0-1 Cruz Azul (Tigres advance due to higher seed after 1-1 on agg.) |
Highlights |
Semifinals — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 18, 2022 | Atlas 3-0 Tigres UANL | Highlights |
| May 19, 2022 | Club America 1-1 Pachuca | Highlights |
Semifinals — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2022 | Tigres UANL 4-2 Atlas (Atlas advance 5-4 on agg.) |
Highlights |
| May 22, 2022 | Pachuca 3-0 Club America (Pachuca advance 4-1 on agg.) |
Highlights |
Final — 1st Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 26, 2022 | Atlas 2-0 Pachuca | Highlights |
Final — 2nd Leg
| Date | Match | |
|---|---|---|
| May 29, 2022 | Pachuca 2-1 Atlas (Atlas win title 3-2 on agg.) |
Highlights |
Mexican league champions all-time
The current half-season format has been in place since 1996, when the league decided to split the campaign into two shorter 17-game seasons known as the Apertura and Clausura.
| Season | Apertura Champion | Clausura Champion | Best Overall Reg. Season Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Atlas | Atlas | Tigres UANL (61pts) |
| 2020-21 | Club Leon | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (70 pts) |
| 2019-20 | Tigres UANL | Abandoned (COVID-19) |
Club Leon (54 pts) |
| 2018-19 | Club America | Tigres UANL | Tigres UANL (66 pts) |
| 2017-18 | Tigres UANL | Santos Laguna | Monterrey (66 pts) |
| 2016-17 | Tigres UANL | Chivas Guadalajara | Tijuana (64 pts) |
| 2015-16 | Tigres UANL | Pachuca | Monterrey (60 pts) |
| 2014-15 | Club America | Santos Laguna | Tigres UANL (60 pts) |
| 2013-14 | Club Leon | Club Leon | Cruz Azul (65 pts) |
| 2012-13 | Tijuana | Club America | Club America (63 pts) |
| 2011-12 | Tigres UANL | Santos Laguna | Tigres UANL(59 pts) |
| 2010-11 | Monterrey | Pumas UNAM | Cruz Azul (65 pts) |
| 2009-10 | Monterrey | Toluca | Monterrey (66 pts) |
| 2008-09 | Toluca | Pumas UNAM | Toluca (63 pts) |
| 2007-08 | Atlante | Santos Laguna | Santos Laguna (69 pts) |
| 2006-07 | Chivas Guadalajara | Pachuca | Pachuca (65 pts) |
| 2005-06 | Toluca | Pachuca | Cruz Azul (60 pts) |
| 2004-05 | Pumas UNAM | Club America | Monarcas Morelia (57 pts) |
| 2003-04 | Pachuca | Pumas UNAM | Pumas UNAM (79 pts) |
| 2002-03 | Toluca | Monterrey | Toluca (74 pts) |
| 2001-02 | Pachuca | Club America | Toluca (67 pts) |
| 2000-01 | Monarcas Morelia | Santos Laguna | Cruz Azul (55 pts) |
| 1999-00 | Pachuca | Toluca | Toluca (72 pts) |
| 1998-99 | Necaxa | Toluca | Toluca (75 pts) |
| 1997-98 | Cruz Azul | Toluca | Cruz Azul (61 pts) |
| 1996-97 | Santos Laguna | Chivas Guadalajara | Atlante (66 pts) |
A single regular season points table decided the title up until 1970-71, when playoffs were introduced.
| Season | Champion | Reg. Season Points Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1995-96 | Necaxa | Cruz Azul (56 pts) |
| 1994-95 | Necaxa | Chivas Guadalajara (52pts) |
| 1993-94 | Tecos | Tecos (51 pts) |
| 1992-93 | Atlante | Necaxa (54 pts) |
| 1991-92 | Leon | Atlante (50 pts) |
| 1990-91 | Pumas UNAM | Pumas UNAM (61pts) |
| 1989-90 | Puebla | Club America (48 pts) |
| 1988-89 | Club America | Puebla (53 pts) |
| 1987-88 | Club America | Club America (55 pts) |
| 1986-87 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chiva Guadalajara (55 pts) |
| Mexico 1986 | Monterrey | Monterrey (29 pts) |
| 1985 | America | America (12 pts) (America won playoffs) |
| 1984-85 | Club America | Pumas UNAM (55 pts) |
| 1983-84 | Club America | Club America (51 pts) |
| 1982-83 | Puebla | Club America (61 pts) |
| 1981-82 | Tigres UANL | Atlante (53 pts) |
| 1980-81 | Pumas UNAM | Tecos (51 pts) |
| 1979-80 | Cruz Azul | America (57 pts) |
| 1978-79 | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (51 pts) |
| 1977-78 | Tigres UANL | Club America (51pts) |
| 1976-77 | Pumas UNAM | Pumas UNAM (60pts) |
| 1975-76 | Club America | Club America (53 pts) |
| 1974-75 | Toluca | Club Leon (51pts) |
| 1973-74 | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (49 pts) |
| 1972-73 | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (46 pts) |
| 1971-72 | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (51 pts) |
| 1970-71 | Club America | Club America (44 pts) |
| Mexico 1970 (Feb.-Oct.) |
Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (37 pts) |
| 1969 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (45 pts) |
| 1968-69 | Cruz Azul | Cruz Azul (44 pts) |
| 1967-68 | Toluca | Toluca (44 pts) |
| 1966-67 | Toluca | Toluca (41 pts) |
| 1965-66 | Club America | Club America (42 pts) |
| 1964-65 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (40 pts) |
| 1963-64 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (37 pts) |
| 1962-63 | Oro | Oro (36 pts) |
| 1961-62 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (41 pts) |
| 1960-61 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (39 pts) |
| 1959-60 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (38 pts) |
| 1958-59 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (38 pts) |
| 1957-58 | Zacatepec | Zacatepec (39 pts) |
| 1956-57 | Chivas Guadalajara | Chivas (36 pts) |
| 1955-56 | Leon | Leon (37 pts) (Won playoff vs. Oro) |
| 1954-55 | Zacatepec | Zacatepec (32 pts) |
| 1953-54 | Marte | Marte (26 pts) |
| 1952-53 | Tampico Madero | Tampico Madero (34 pts) |
| 1951-52 | Leon | Leon (31 pts) |
| 1950-51 | Atlas | Atlas (30 pts) |
| 1949-50 | Veracruz | Veracruz (39 pts) |
| 1948-49 | Leon | Leon (39 pts) |
| 1947-48 | Leon | Leon (36 pts) (Won playoff vs. Oro) |
| 1946-47 | Atlante | Atlante (42 pts) |
| 1945-46 | Veracruz | Veracruz (45 pts) |
| 1944-45 | Club Espana | Club Espana (38 pts) |
| 1943-44 | Asturias | Asturias (27 pts) (Won playoff vs. Espana) |
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