First Division of Mexico

The First Division of Mexico, also known simply as Liga MX or for sponsorship reasons Liga BBVA MX, is the highest men's category of the Mexican league system and the main club competition in the country. Since 2012 it has had an autonomous organization from the Mexican Football Federation. Two short tournaments are played per annual soccer cycle (each one with its champion) called Apertura and Clausura (in that order). The championship is defined by means of a final phase after each regular phase, known as liguilla; The first twelve places in the general table classify her.

It is the most dominant league in the Concacaf area, obtaining 45 official international titles through its representative clubs. Recognized at the same time by the IFFHS as the strongest league in the XXI century in Concacaf; also as the 12th strongest league in the world in the same period and the fourth in the entire continent, only behind the Serie A of Brazil, the Primera División of Argentina and the Category Primera A of Colombia that occupy the 4th place. º, 6º and 10º place respectively. While it was located during the year 2020 as the 29th league in the world.

The team that has won the most championships in the professional era is América with 13, followed by Guadalajara with 12, Toluca with 10, Cruz Azul with 9, León with 8, UNAM, Tigres UANL and Pachuca with 7.

The Clásico Nacional, also called the Clásico de Clásicos, is played between the clubs América and Guadalajara, the Clásico Joven between América and Cruz Azul, the Clásico Capitalino between América and Universidad Nacional, the Clásico Tapatío between Guadalajara and Atlas and the Clásico Regiomontano between Monterrey and Tigres.

History

Origins

Trophy awarded to the champion of the Mexican league since the closing 2008.

After the separation of several clubs from the Mexican League (founded in 1902) and which created the so-called National League (created in 1920); The antagonism and rivalry between both sectors ended two years later with the start of a series of negotiations that would not only allow the definitive unification of both leagues, but also the creation of a structure that would organize and develop football in the country.

In August 1922 the Mexican Federation of Football Association was founded, which with everything and its Anglicism is the foundation of the current FMF; In its first statutes professionalism was recognized. This organization is made up of the following clubs: Club de Fútbol México, Real Club España, Germania Fußball-Verein, Club América, Asturias Football Club, Club de Fútbol Aurrerá and Club Necaxa, being the first directors Humberto Garza Ramos, from Mexico, appointed president, Juan B. Orraca from the Aurrerá team as secretary and Manuel Alonso from Germania as treasurer, who registered and affiliated Femexfut with FIFA.

Immediately after the founding of the governing body, and with the consequent union of the two rival tournaments, the league championship was formally created, which they called the FMF First Force Championship. The initial whistle of the 1922-23 season would be on the afternoon of Sunday, October 22, 1922. In the opening match, America and Spain faced each other. The creams prevailed 2-0 with notes from José Camote Izquierdo, scorer of the first goal, and Alfredo García Besné.

In the 1930-31 season, various managerial conflicts caused the suspension of the league tournament; the Federation decided to suspend it to definitively solve these problems. After months of struggles, the rough edges were ironed out and the competition was refounded under the name Liga Mayor, which organized two competitions: the Preferred, made up of six teams, and the First Ordinary, which served as a promotion circuit. This competition had durability and grew until it grouped 16 teams.

Due to the expansion of the league, both in clubs and in number of players; and the growing recruitment of foreign soccer players, the Secretaries of the Interior and the Treasury began to pressure the league and the clubs to present contracts and grant work permits in addition to complying with tax obligations for a simple reason, the players were already professionals and were paid good amounts of money, but they were registered in various companies as employees, that is, they wanted to recognize the existence of the professional player to register him in the then Ministry of Labor and grant him all his labor rights, in addition to establishing his obligations of taxpayers. In the 1930s, among Spanish and Cuban refugees and reinforcements, 92 foreign players joined the league.

The pressures came from the end of the 1930s, when very high contracts were signed for Spanish players. This came to a crisis in 1942 when the National Federation (responsible for the National Amateur Championship) expressed its annoyance against the Mexican Football Federation and the Major League for sending professional players to the aforementioned inter-state championship, which was obviously an unfair advantage over the rest. of the state teams that lacked such status and succumbed with relative ease to the selection of the Major League.

In April 1943, at the initiative of the president of Club América César Martino, the clubs that were part of the league agreed to give in to government pressure and promoted the formal registration of the profession "soccer player" in the Secretariat of Labor and the consequent taxes against the Treasury.

In other words, the paradigm shift of the Major League championship that year was not related to a re-founding, name change or bylaws, nor was it related to the start of a new competition format. In any case, it was a contractual and fiscal change in the relationship between the league and the authorities, which did not affect the historical continuity of the tournament founded in 1922. In said assembly, the inclusion of Guadalajara and Atlas was approved.

Another of the phenomena that occurred in 1943 was not really a merger of the most important leagues in the country, but rather an inclusion of clubs from other circuits within the Major League, the only one affiliated with the Mexican Football Federation. Of the eight teams contending for the 1942-43 championship, six remained on the circuit: América, Atlante, Marte, Asturias, España and Moctezuma de Orizaba (the latter, a former member of the Liga Veracruzana and participated as a full member of the league and the FMF from 1941-42). Necaxa disappeared when opposing the new measures taken by the Major League. The Jalisco National Team, a squad made up of players from the Guadalajara, Oro and Atlas clubs of the Western League, and which participated as a guest since 1940-41; also disappeared, to make way for the formal entry of the Atlas and Guadalajara clubs (Oro would do so until 1944-45) in the Major League. And to these must also be added the debuts of Veracruz (which was born from the merger of the clubs Iberia and Sporting, which had already participated regularly in the Major League), and ADO of the Veracruzana League. In this way, in practice, the league only had an expansion of 4 clubs, and not a unification of tournaments.

Spain and Asturias, who had set an era for their spectacular, offensive and effective style, were the first champions of the new stage; Asturias in 1943-44 and Spain in 1944-45, two legendary forwards standing out in them: the Spanish Isidro Lángara, from Spain, and the Argentine Roberto Aballay, from Asturias, the only forwards with 40 goals in a season. It is worth mentioning that as a result of this aforementioned championship, Spain received the original league trophy, which it determined would be awarded to the first club to win five titles; situation that would establish the continuity and direct connection between the First Force Championship and the current maximum circuit.

Except for Guadalajara, all the teams included foreign players in an excessive proportion. On November 9, 1943, the FMF limited the number of foreigners per team to four. Because many of those affected began to naturalize, the President of the Republic, Manuel Ávila Camacho, decreed that for the 1945-46 season each team should participate (in Mexico City), with a minimum of six Mexican players per birth and for the next with at least seven.

Veracruz was the first champion of the interior of the republic, headed by Luis "Pirata" Source in the 1945-46 season. This season was characterized by high scores and a high average goal per game.

Atlante was crowned champion in the 1946-47 season amid controversy. Most of the tournament, León and Atlante competed for the first place in the table; the penultimate game faced them and would define the winner. The match should have been held in the city of León, but a current quarantine due to an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease caused the venue to be changed to the Olympic Stadium in the City of Sports, home of Atlante who, with the advantage of playing at home, the final goalless draw gave them the league title.

First titles for León

Successful was the partnership between Adalberto "Dumbo" Lopez and the Lion. As a member of this team, "Dumbo" López was the first Mexican striker to win three consecutive scoring titles in the 1946-47, 1947-48 and 1948-49 tournaments. Meanwhile, León was proclaimed League Champion in the 1947-48 and 1948-49 seasons, and Copa México champion in 1948-49. The emerald team still continued its harvest of titles by winning the 1951-52 and 1955-56 championships. In two of these championships (1947-48 and 1955-56) he had to face tiebreakers against Gold, to obtain the scepter.

In administrative matters, the Major League ended up separating from the Federation and, after numerous negotiations and projects, both were unified in 1948, which is considered a refounding of the FMF. Among the main reforms derived from the above, was to professionalize soccer, for this they created a "branch" with these characteristics separated from the amateur, therefore, the competition changed its name to the Professional Branch Championship.

Years 1950-1960: The Super Champion Guadalajara

After having had the colloquial denomination of and merit—due to the abrupt falls in seasons where it was emerging as champion—, Guadalajara became the most dominant dynasty of the time by winning four consecutive league championships between 1958-1962 and a total of eight in a span of 13 years between 1957 and 1970. In that same period he won two Copa México titles, in 1962 and 1970, and seven as Champion of Champions between 1957 and 1970. He also won the title of champion of the 1962 Concacaf Champions Cup. All this under a nascent and massive popular support throughout the country, based on the sympathy generated by the public for his condition of playing exclusively with players born in Mexico.

At the same time, clubs like Atlas (1950-51), Oro (62-63), Tampico (1952-53), Zacatepec (1954-55 and 1957-58), and Marte (1953-54), lived their best years obtaining their only league titles, and, coincidentally, in this period the capital's clubs did not win any championship.

This period saw the debuts in the First Division of Toluca (1953), Club Universidad Nacional (1962), and Cruz Azul (1964), clubs that would become successful institutions in history over the years of Mexican soccer.

In the 1950-51 season the Second Division was created; the first team to descend was San Sebastián.

In 1960, with the election of Guillermo Cañedo de la Bárcena as president of the FMF, many regulations and statutes were modified and, for the time being, the League was renamed the First Professional Division with everything and an autonomous and independent Steering Committee.

1970s: The league and the blue team of Cruz Azul emerge

In order to obtain more economic income and make the league more competitive; Roberto Solís, president of Club León, proposed holding a postseason series, called leaguilla, in which the best teams from the regular season will face each other to obtain the title. The proposal was seconded by the Guadalajara and Toluca clubs. On November 23, 1970, the league championship competition format was approved; there was a tie in the first round of voting, since the counterpart led by América and Atlas, wanted the system of definition by points to be maintained; After two more rounds of voting, the casting vote of Alejandro Sarquís, president of the Primera División Branch, decided to approve the format. As of the 1970-71 season, it was decided to divide the tournament into two groups of 9 teams and play a final between the group leaders to define the champion. On July 25 at La Bombonera the first leg was played (ending with a goalless tie) and on August 1 the second leg of the first final was played between América and Toluca. The Cremas were crowned by beating the Diablos 2-0 at the Azteca Stadium.

Led by goalkeeper Miguel Marín, Cruz Azul dominated the 1970s by qualifying for 9 leagues, finishing 4 times as overall leader and winning 5 league championships in the 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74 seasons, 1978-79 and 1979-80.

In that decade, America also stood out with two championships (1970-71 and 1975-76), led by Enrique Borja and Carlos Reinoso; and the UNAM Pumas with one title (1976-77), and whose top figures were Evanivaldo Castro "Cabinho" and Hugo Sánchez, who debuted in 1976.

1980s: America and its golden age

In the 1982-83 season, América finished the regular season with 26 wins (17 at home), only 3 losses, 61 points, and an 80% effectiveness; All these figures represented Mexican soccer records, but in one of the biggest surprises in history, Guadalajara eliminated them in the semifinals by beating them 3-0 (4-2 aggregate), at the Azteca Stadium. Guadalajara would not go any further, since they were defeated in the final by the team from the Strip, Puebla F.C.

In the following tournament, América took revenge on the previous league and beat Guadalajara 3-1 (5-3 overall) in the final, proclaiming itself champion of the 1983-84 season. In the 1984-85 season, they beat the Pumas in a third tiebreaker game and with controversial arbitration. In the short tournament PRODE 1985, he overturned a disadvantage that he would get in the first leg (lost 4-1), and beat Tampico Madero 4-0 in the second leg, to proclaim himself three-time champion of Mexican soccer. He also won the 1987-88 titles against Pumas de la UNAM and 1988-89 against Cruz Azul; His dominance in that decade included 4 general leaders, 10 participations in the 11 leagues played, as well as a Concacaf title in 1987 and two Champion of Champions in 1988 and 1989.

Tigres, Puebla and Monterrey break the capital's hegemony in leagues with the titles of 1981-82, 1982-83 and Mexico 1986 respectively. Guadalajara achieved its first trophy in the league era, breaking a 17-year drought in the 1986-87 campaign.

1990s: The Necaxa, the percentage and the short tournaments

The early 1990s saw Puebla once again crowned league champions in the 1989-90 season. That same year, the Strip was also proclaimed champion of the Copa México, and by achieving both titles in the same year, he managed to join the select group of the "Campeonísimos".

In the 1991-92 season, the criterion popularly known as "percentage" to define the team that descends from the maximum circuit. This divides the points obtained during the last three seasons by the number of games played by each team. Then it would start from scratch, so the team to be relegated would be the one that finished in last overall place. In this way, the Cobras of Ciudad Juárez has the unpleasant honor of being the first team fired from the First Division because of "percentage".

Since 1996, two tournaments a year have been held in Mexico, each one with its respective Liguilla, originally called Winter and Summer, and since 2002 Opening and Closing. Toluca, Pachuca and Santos are the teams that have taken the most advantage of this new form of competition, the first obtaining 7 championships and the other two 6 titles.

This decade is dominated by Necaxa, a club that obtained a two-time championship in the last 2 long seasons played in Mexico: 1994-95 and 1995-96, plus a short tournament in Winter 1998, to which are added its outstanding performances reaching the general leadership in 1992-93, the degree of Campionísimo in 1994-95, winning the Copa México and only having been absent in two of the leagues played in that period. Toluca also stood out at the end of the decade by winning the Summer 1998, Summer 1999 and Summer 2000 titles. In this period, clubs like León, at 36 (1991/92), Atlante, at 47 (1992/93), Cruz Azul 17 (Inv. 97), and Toluca himself, with 23 (Ver. 1998), break long chains of years without a league championship. In the same way, institutions considered small due to their infrastructure, history and popularity debuted as league champions: UAG (93-94), Santos (Inv. 96), Pachuca (Inv. 99) and Morelia (Inv. 2000).

2000s: The dynasties of Toluca, Pachuca and UNAM

The league that had an important soccer growth in this decade, proof of this was that in the years 200220062007 and 2008 the first division was classified within the 10 best leagues in the world according to the IFFHS.

In this decade, three teams stood out in a special way:

• El Toluca, who holds 4 titles: Opening 2002, Opening 2005, Opening 2008 and Bicentennial 2010.
• Pachuca, who gets 4 titles: Winter 2001, Opening 2003, Closure 2006 and Closure 2007.
• UNAM, not so much for three titles, but for the fact that it has been the first team to achieve a bi-campeonate since short tournaments are played: Clausura 2004 and Opening 2004, it is achieved under the technical direction of Hugo Sánchez.

The titles of América in Verano 2002, Monterrey in Clausura 2003, Guadalajara in Apertura 2006, and Atlante in Apertura 2007 also stand out, breaking streaks of 13, 17, 9 and 14 years without being champion, respectively.

2010 Decade: Golden Age of Tigres

The decade begins with Monterrey's fourth crown in the 2010 Apertura. For the 2011 Apertura, another broken streak is presented, being the Tigres club of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León who achieves its third championship after 29 years of not achieve it.

On June 4, 2012, a series of measures were announced to restructure the league, which included remodeling projects in the stadiums (such as removing mesh and bars, and covering all the seats with individual seats), reviving the Copa México tournament, separate the circuit from the Federation, rename it Liga MX and award the latter to a general sponsor.

This form of reorganization, which like the other modifications seen in the past, does not imply a profound change in the statutes, conflicts, labor rights of the players, broadcasting rights of the clubs and much less in the competition system; but they are understood and contemplated within a plan for its sporting growth.

In the sports field, this decade has already witnessed the fastest title for a recently promoted team, when Tijuana won the scepter in Apertura 2012 with just 59 matches in the maximum circuit since its promotion in 2011. In addition to achieving of the two-time championship at the hands of León in the 2013 Opening and 2014 Clausura, a team that had already achieved one in 1947-49. Likewise, it was marked as the decade in which Guadalajara, despite winning its 12th crown in 2017, would lose its hegemony as the team with the most titles in Mexican soccer, and America would take its place, after having conquered the tournaments Closing 2013, Opening 2014 and Opening 2018 in that decade.

During this decade, the most consistent team is the UANL Tigers, having been finalists on 7 occasions, obtaining 5 titles in them (Apertura 2011, Apertura 2015, Apertura 2016, Apertura 2017 and Clausura 2019); in addition to having concluded three times as general leader of the competition.

Participants

Throughout the history of the competition, sixty different teams have participated, only two of which have always remained in the first category since its inaugural edition. They are Club América and Club Deportivo Guadalajara.

Although only ten teams participated in the first season, later the number gradually increased to the current eighteen teams. The peak figure of twenty-one was also reached during the 1986-87 season.

Season 2022-23

Note: Debutant teams in the competition indicated in bold.

Competition system

Regular season

News

The season is held annually, divided into two short tournaments, each with its own final phase (leaguilla) and champion. Beginning with the so-called Opening tournaments at the end of July or beginning of August, and ending in the month of December. It closes with the so-called Closing tournaments, which begin at the beginning of January and end at the end of May or beginning of June.

The competition consists of a single group made up of the 18 clubs that make up the maximum circuit, playing 17 games each, all against all in a single round; the order of the matches is decided by draw before the start of the competition. The final classification is established according to the total points obtained by each team at the end of the championship, with the first twelve places corresponding to the pass to the final phase. Teams get three points for every game they win, one point for every tie, and no points for games they lose. If at the end of the 17 days of each tournament, two or more clubs are tied on points, their position in the general classification table will be determined according to the order of the following tie-break criteria:

• 1. Better difference between the goals scored and received.
• 2. Increased number of goals scored.
• 3. Increased number of goals scored as a visitor.
• 4. Private markers among the clubs tied.
• 5. Better located in the general quotient table.
• 6. Table fair play.
• 7. Drawing.

The Fair Play Table is the points system on which the number of yellow and red cards is counted, according to the following:

• First yellow card 1 point.
• Second yellow card (indirect red) 3 points.
• Direct red card 3 points.
• A yellow card and a direct red card 4 points.

Background

Classification

The competition system, from the 1922-23 season until the 1970 Mexico Tournament, established that the league champion was the team that finished as the overall leader of the competition (as in most leagues in the world); after playing round-robin matches with a reciprocal visit (that is, two rounds), and defining the classification by a scoring system that awarded two units for victory, one for a tie and zero for defeat. The tie-breaking criteria to define the title was always direct confrontations between those involved, either in one or two duels on a neutral court, and even in the final stages of having more than two involved; This system remained in force, also until the 1970 Mexico Tournament. However, extra games for the title were necessary only eight times when there was a tie for first place in the table; This was in the 1923-24, 1925-26, 1931-32, 1941-42, 1943-44, 1947-48 and 1955-56 tournaments, even in the 1933-34 campaign there was a triangular tiebreaker. But from the 1970-71 tournament, the champion is defined by a direct elimination round classification system, known as "Liguilla".

In the case of those positions in the table, which did not imply the definition of the title or relegation (this from its creation in 1950-51), the first tiebreaker criterion was the goal average or average of goals, and was calculated by dividing the number of goals scored by those received. The goal difference finally replaced this technique when it was applied from the 1970-71 season.

The scoring system was modified from the 1995-96 season, now awarding 3 points for victory.

Number of teams

The number of teams, originally eight, increased or decreased due to promotion, relegation, disappearances, invitations or promotional leagues. Going to nine in 1923-24, seven in 1924-25, eight in 1927-28, nine in 1928-29, eight in 1929-30, ten in 1932-33, six in 1933-34, five in 1935-36, six in 1936-37, seven in 1938-39, six in 1939-40, eight in 1940-41, 10 in 1943-44, 13 in 1944-45, 16 in 1945-46, 15 from 1946-47 to 1948- 49, 14 in 1949-50, 12 from 1950-51 to 1954-55, 14 from 1955-56 to 1963-64, 16 from 1964-65 to the Mexico 1970 Tournament, 18 from 1970-71 to 1973-74, 20 from 1974-75 to 1985-86, 21 in 1986-87, 20 in 1987-88 to 1993-94, 19 in 1994-95, 18 in 1995-96 to 2000-01, 19 in 2001-02, 20 in 2002- 03 to 2003-04, 18 from 2004-05 to 2018-19, 19 in Apertura 2019 and 18 again from Closing 2020.

Calendar

The schedule of games until the 1949-50 season was determined by the then-current conditions of transportation and distance, so the matches were divided into numbered weeks that could cover the games of only two or all of the tournament participants; this so that the same team could visit all the clubs in a city in a short period of time, avoiding the wear and tear and investment that covering long distances meant. As there was no predetermined order, there were no days as such. However, and exceptionally, the 1934-35 season consisted of three rounds, the last one being raffled for the order of locals and visitors. The division ordered by dates and the elaboration of a round of matches in the first and second round, with inverted locality calendars from one to the other half of the tournament, began to be used in the 1950-51 season. Over the years, the massification of means of transport, the generalization of stadiums with lighting, the expansion of television, and various socio-economic factors, ended up defining the schedules.

Groups

Starting in the 1970-71 season, the clubs of the highest circuit were divided into groups, without changing the system of confrontations all against all. The location of the teams in the sectors was determined according to the final position in the general table of the previous campaign, and through a sowing that alternated the numbers of said positions in odds and evens (that is, teams 1, 3, 5, etc., in a group and vice versa). From the 1975-76 season until 2003-04, when they were divided into four groups, the location was determined by a staggered seeding, with the sequence beginning in seeding, these being the first four places in the previous contest (Group 1 — 1, 8, 9, 16, 17; Group 2 — 2, 7, 10, 15, 18; Group 3 — 3, 6, 11, 14, 19; Group 4 — 4, 5, 12, 13, 20), considering of course the differences in the number of members of one or two groups, according to the total number of members of the maximum circuit (remembering the aforementioned changes). From the 2004-05 season to 2010-11, there were only three groups, so the staggered order was compressed (Group 1 — 1, 6, 7, 12, 13, 18; Group 2 — 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17; Group 3 — 3, 4, 9, 10, 15, 16). The group format disappeared from the 2011-12 cycle.

Short Tournaments

Before the current format of short tournaments, 3 shorter tournaments had already been held than the usual long double round competitions, prior to the Soccer World Cups from 1970 and 1986.

In the so-called Mexico 1970, the 16 teams were divided into two groups of 8 teams, in a first phase; which only faced rivals in their sector, in a duel to reciprocal visit. Later, in a second phase, the best 4 of each group were located in a new sector called De campeonato, which once again played round-trip matches, the leader of this sector, and which in the end was also the leader. of all the competition (and consequently the champion), would be Cruz Azul. While the 4 worst teams in each group of the first phase were placed in one called Relegation, they played round-trip duels among themselves, however there was no relegation at the end of the tournament.

In PRODE 1985, the 20 teams were divided into 4 groups of 5, it was only played between the rivals of the sector to reciprocal visit, the 2 best of each sector qualified for the league.

For Mexico 1986, the 20 teams were divided into two groups, as in the previous ones, round-trip matches were played, only against opponents from the same group. The best 4 of each one go to the league.

The current system of short tournaments was implemented from the 1996-97 soccer cycle. Each one has its own classification and final phase; only the calendar and the definition of the descent remain unified in the same cycle.

League League

Current format

Prior to the quarterfinal round, there will be a reclassification phase in which the clubs located between positions 5 and 12 of the general table will participate. They will play 5 vs. the 12th, the 6th vs. the 11, 7 vs. 10 and 8 vs 9. The qualifiers will be played in one game, in the stadium of the club with the best position in the general table. The 4 winning clubs will be relocated to places 5 to 8, depending on their position in the table, to play the quarterfinal stage.

The eight clubs qualified for the quarterfinal round of the tournament will be placed in direct duels according to the place they occupy in the general table at the end of day 17 (that is, 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6 and 4 vs 5).

The Liguilla consists of single reclassification duels and reciprocal visiting matches of the quarterfinals, semifinals and the final. It is important to note that in the event of a tie in the overall score, for the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, the only tiebreaker criterion is the position in the general table at the end of the regular phase; Thus, the team that has scored the most points, or failing that, is best placed in the standings, is the one that will advance to the next round.

This criterion is canceled in the final by the title; therefore, in this case, in the event of an overall tie, there will be overtime with overtime and, if necessary, a penalty shootout.

Old Formats

Qualification to the final phase

The league classification system has changed; although the constant had been that the classified teams were defined by their position in the pre-established groups at the beginning of each tournament. The classification corresponded to the teams located in the first two places of each group, regardless of their position in the general table. From the 1970-71 to 1974-75 seasons the teams were divided into two groups; from the 1975-76 season to 2003-04 they were divided into four (except for the aforementioned cases of the PRODE 1985 and Mexico 1986 tournaments); and from the 2004-05 cycle to the 2010-11 season, there were only three groups, so in this case the classification corresponded to the first two places in each group, and the two best third places. All the previous sector compositions, varying in number of members due to the changes in the total number of members of the maximum circuit.

From the 2011-12 cycle, the groups disappear and the teams classify according to their position in the general table, that is, the first eight places until 2019-20, and the first twelve from 2020-21.

Rounds and participation

The first league in 1970-71 only consisted of the grand final, which the group leaders played on a reciprocal visit.

In 1971-72, 1972-73 and 1973-74, only the semifinals were played between the leaders and sub-leaders of the groups, before giving way to the final.

In 1974-75 a group league of four teams was played, with the participation of the leaders and sub-leaders of the two regular season groups. The 4 teams played a reciprocal visit and in the end the leader of the sector would be champion.

The leagues of 1976-77, 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81 and 1988-89 were played with two groups of 4 teams, all against all with a reciprocal visit; the leaders played the final.

The rest of the final phases have been played under the direct elimination system. However, in 1991-92 the playoff or reclassification format emerged, so that teams with a higher score than the group runners-up could access the quarterfinal phase.

The format consisted of reciprocal visit series between those teams involved with the aforementioned conditions, that is, the sub-leader of the group would face the club that had surpassed it in points in another group, and was not the sub-leader of this; all this respecting the position in the general table for the definition of the role of games, and considering the same current tie-break criteria of the subsequent rounds. Said system was suspended between the Apertura 2004 and the Clausura 2006, restored in the Apertura 2006, suspended after its last dispute in the Clausura 2008; and from Apertura 2020 it is implemented again, but with a different format that classifies the teams located between positions five and twelve at the end of the regular phase to a kind of preliminary round.

Tiebreaking criteria

In accordance with current regulations, in cases of a tie on the global scoreboard, the tiebreaker criteria in the group have varied, even being different for the previous phases (reclassification, quarterfinals and semifinals) and for the final.

Preliminary phases

• Between the 1970-71 and 1973-74 seasons, a third party was contemplated for all phases (then only semi-final and final) to play in neutral court, and to persist equality, extra and criminal times. The third party was used in three elimination series, including one final; in one of the semifinals the method was taken to the limit, because they were required to decide the third party (Semifinal Leon - Atletico Español of 1973-74).

• In the final quadrangular of 1974-75, if there had been a tie between those involved in the championship, the realization of a single match end in neutral court was planned.

• From the 1975-76 season to the Mexico Tournament 1986 were played extra times, and to follow the tie, criminal shots (not taking into account the Group flaps described below).

• In the final group phase of 1976-77, the average of goals or gol average was used for the only occasion in a leg. This criterion defined the classification at the end of U. de G. to the detriment of America.

• On the contrary, in the final group phases of 1978-79, 1979-80, 1980-81 and 1988-89, traditional Goal Difference was used.

• Between the 1986-87 and 1995-96 seasons it was decided under the criterion of Visiting Gol, i.e. the team that in the round and round series score more goals as visitors. Extra-time and criminal shootings were performed in the event of having the same number of goals in both parties; extra-time goals were not valid for the visitor goal criterion, due to the sports justice that should prevail, as in a series of visits, only the games back have extra times.

• Between the 1996 Winter and the 2012 Closure, the pre-end phases (repeach, quarter finals and semi-finals) were defined by "better position in the general table," i.e., ranked in case of global tie, the best team located in the regular phase classification. This rule was restored from Opening 2021.

• Between the 2012 Opening tournament and the 2021 Clausura, the first criterion applied was, again, the visitor goal.

Ending

On the other hand, in the case of the final, the tie-break criteria in case of equality in the overall score have been (omitting the 1974-75 championship whose definition was not a final series, but a final home run):

• Third party in neutral court → In the seasons 1970-71, 1972-73, 1973-74; and from 1983-84 to 1984-85. However, there was only a need to employ it in 1972-73 and 1984-85, as the rest did not have a global tie.
• Single Party in neutral court → In 1971-72, it was the only occasion that the regulation predetermined a single venue for the final game, in the style of the Mexico Cup, and designating the Aztec Stadium for that purpose. In a coincidental way, two of their residents would have reached that meeting.
• Extra and penal times → From the season 1975-76 to the season 1982-83, and in the short tournaments of 1985-86. However, there was only a need to contest extra times in 1981-82, 1982-83, Prode Tournament 1985 and the Mexico Tournament 1986; in the first two cases, even criminals were disputed, in the rest of the end of this period there was no global tie.
• Visitor goal → Between the 1986-87 and 1995-96 seasons and considering the same restrictions raised in the previous rounds. The criterion defined the 1990-91 and 1995-96 titles for National and Necaxa University, and to the detriment of America and Celaya respectively. The late 1991-92 and 1993-94 required extra times, after both parties presented markers identical to the end of regular time (double 0-0 between León and Puebla in 1991-92; 1-0 for each local in the Santos-UAG series of 1993-94).
• Gol de oro → Between the 1996 Winter and the 2004 Closure, this system was used worldwide since the 1996-97 cycle. It consisted in declaring the end of the party, and consequently a winner, when a team scored the first goal of the extra times. In the case of Mexico it was only used in the series for the championship. During the 2003-04 cycle, the rule included a rule called Silver goal, by which, when a goal fell in the first time of the extension, the game was not finished, the end of that lapse was expected and the end of the match was declared the end of the meeting. The silver goal never occurred, instead the golden goal defined the titles of Winter 1997, Winter 1999 and Summer 2002.
• Since the opening of 2004 the Extra and Criminal Times are again used.

Descent and ascent

Initial and Background

With the creation of the Second Division of Mexico in 1950, the dispute for promotion-relegation was instituted in the highest circuit starting in the 1950-51 season. Between the 1950-51 and 1967-68 seasons, relegation was defined in the traditional way: the last place in the general table went to the Second Division.

In the 1968-69 season, the non-relegation league was created, in which the two or four clubs with the fewest points played in reciprocal visit series, as long as there were no more than four points of difference between those involved; in which cases direct descent occurred. In the 1984-85 season, they were suspended as a result of the acts of violence that occurred at the Agustín Coruco Díaz Stadium, after an invasion of the field by Zacatepec fans, after the 1-0 defeat against Necaxa, which the doomed to relegation.

Latest Format

In 1991-92, a descent system was instituted that in Mexico was colloquially known as percentage or descent table. This consists of dividing the total points obtained in a certain period of tournaments, between the number of matches played in that same period; The quotient obtained being the figure that defined the club that would be relegated, corresponding of course to the one with the worst record.

In that first contest, only the sum of the points corresponding to that campaign and the previous 1990-91 were considered to define the team that would be relegated; being from the 1992-93 campaign that the account of the last three seasons of all the teams began to accumulate. In the 1995-96 season, due to the change in the scoring system, which went from awarding 2 to giving 3 units per victory, for the only occasion a system was applied whereby the quotient table continued to accumulate two points per victory, this not to benefit or harm any team. After said tournament, the percentage also accumulated three points per win.

With the implementation of the short tournaments from the 1996-97 cycle, the relegation system did not undergo substantial modifications, it was only adapted to the new tournament format. The tournaments remained unified as if it were a single season, so the two tournaments of that football year were added to the last two long seasons (1994-95 and 1995-96), and then the last of these to the cycles. 1996-97 and 1997-98. Finally, from the 1998-99 cycle, the relegation format was definitively established as the quotient obtained by dividing the points obtained between the games played in the last six short tournaments (three soccer cycles). So technically it can be assumed that it produced every other short tournament.

In the First Division, only one team —obviously, with the worst average— was relegated to the next division, in this case the Promotion League. For teams recently promoted or with less than six seasons in the top circuit, their quotient was obtained by counting only the seasons they had been playing. For this reason, his average could go up or down more easily. In the event that two or more teams had exactly the same average points per game, the team with the worst goal difference was relegated. If said tie occurred between two or more teams that do not have the same number of matches, the goal difference would be obtained by only comparing the tournaments in which those involved had coincided.

As a competition clause, the regulations stated that a team that occupies the last place in the relegation table could not access the Liguilla, even if it was placed in a position to qualify. This was approved after the 1995-96 season, the Tigers of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León had been relegated and at the same time qualified in that tournament.

The place of the relegated team was occupied by the champion of the final for promotion of the Promotion League, which was disputed by the two champions of the two short tournaments played in the season; in the event that a team obtained both titles, it was automatically promoted.

As of the 2017-18 cycle, the team that won the promotion final had to be "Certified for promotion", according to the FMF Regulations, otherwise they could not be promoted and he was "recompensated" with two million dollars; therefore, the team relegated from the First Division and the certified club with the most points in the Promotion League (adding the two tournaments), disputed a two-way promotion to determine which team would occupy a place in the highest circuit. However, for the 2019-20 cycle, the Mexican Football Federation agreed that all Ascenso MX participants would have the right to be promoted to the highest category, automatically granting them certification.

Suspension

The Mexican Football Federation determined on April 24, 2020, in full paralysis of the Mexican tournaments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, to cancel the Clausura 2020 Tournament of the Promotion League, to disappear this league, the promotion and relegation in the First Division for 6 years, while a second category suitable for Mexican soccer was consolidated; all this because of the constant economic crises that the teams in the promotion circuit had been going through in recent years and that forced, in many cases, the disappearance of teams, with the consequent decrease in participants in said league.

Participation in international tournaments

Concacaf Champions League

The Concacaf Champions League is the highest confederation competition that Mexican clubs can play. It is accessed by the champions and runners-up of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments. By provision of the Concacaf, the champions and runners-up of Mexico are obliged to participate only in the aforementioned competition, this in order to increase the expectation and competitiveness of it.

Libertadores Cup

Despite the fact that the participation of Concacaf clubs in Conmebol tournaments does not correspond, the competitiveness and relevance of its highest tournament in international soccer, the Copa Libertadores, led the Mexican league to negotiate with the South American body its participation in the surcontinental tournament where, between 1998 and 2003, four or up to eight Mexican teams were invited to play a selective tournament between them, played in the United States, to later dispute two direct places in the group stage of said competition. These were played against Venezuelan clubs in the PreLibertadores tournament, who exchanged their places in exchange for a percentage of tickets and television rights.

In 2004, Conmebol granted two direct places to Mexico (in 2005, it increased to three via repechage), with which the classification system changed: The current champions, the year before the contest was held, faced each other for the ticket called Mexico 1, tickets 2 and 3 were played in a tournament called InterLiga, played in the United States, by the 8 best-placed teams in a general table that included the two short tournaments of the season.

Those teams that were champions in the two league tournaments of the year were ruled out to play in the Copa Libertadores of that season, this due to Concacaf's provision so that the winners of the league in Mexico will play the area tournament and thus have to wait, at least two years, to aspire to play the South American competition.

As of the 2010-2011 season, a new classification system was implemented:

• Mexico 1: The general leader of the tournament Opening every year no matter if he is a champion.
• Mexico 2: The second place of the general table of the tournament Opening of each year.
• Mexico 3: Supercopa MX champion, a tournament played between the two football championships within the Mexico Cup. (The latter, implemented from the 2013-14 season, previously corresponded to the third best located in the opening tournament).

However, the change in format and calendar of the South American contest in 2016 caused the Mexican teams to decide not to participate since the 2017 edition.

Other Conmebol tournaments

Since the first edition of the Merconorte Cup in 1998, the Mexican league had already received an invitation from Conmebol to play said tournament; However, the differences between the South American organization and the local federation on the designation of the invited clubs (CONMEBOL invited América, Guadalajara and Cruz Azul; the Federation wanted to send Necaxa and Toluca) prevented the debut of the Mexican teams in this competition.

Mexican clubs began their participation in the Copa Merconorte 2000, being the representatives Guadalajara, Necaxa, Pachuca and Toluca. In Merconorte 2001, which was its last edition, Guadalajara, Necaxa and Santos Laguna participated. In both tournaments there was no sporting criteria for classification, since all the participants acted by invitation.

For the 2005 Copa Sudamericana, Conmebol invited three Concacaf teams for the first time, two of them Mexican: América and Universidad Nacional; Although the reason for the invitation was their condition as the last two Mexican soccer league champions, this was not the regulatory criteria, since they participated as guests.

However, starting with the 2006 Copa Sudamericana, two classification criteria began to be used for the invited teams. On the one hand, the best placed team in the general table of the Closing Tournament of the current year classified, conditioned on not being a participant in the Concacaf Champions Cup that same semester; and on the other, the runner-up in the Concacaf Champions Cup of that year, played in the first semester; rule that on both occasions when it was in effect, the qualified Mexican clubs turned out to be. This criterion was also used in the 2007 edition (Pachuca participated as defending champion of the tournament). In the 2008 edition, a new method was applied, now classifying the two best placed in the general table of the Clausura Tournament, and who were not participants in the Concacaf club championship.

Due to Concacaf guidelines, Mexican soccer stopped participating in the 2009 edition, despite the fact that the Mexican Soccer Federation confirmed Monterrey and Puebla as participants that year.

Pachuca, as champion of the 2006 Copa Sudamericana, obtained the right to play the 2007 Recopa Sudamericana against Internacional de Porto Alegre from Brazil, champion of the 2006 Copa Libertadores, in a two-way series to define the winner of the two Conmebol champions.

History

For a better detail of each edition see History of the First Division of Mexico

Below is the list of championships including the amateur era (unofficial from 1902 to 1922) and the professional (official from 1922 to the present).

Note: Team names according to the era.

• In 1974-75 the board consisted of a group round between the 4 clubs that occupied the first 2 places of the two groups in which the 20 teams of the regular phase were divided: Club León, Toluca, Cruz Azul and Unión de Curtidores. All were disputed against everyone on a mutual visit; the winner of the group would be the champion. The Toluca 1-0 Lion party of the fifth day defined the title for Toluca; it is not an end as such, since the current regulations then did not contemplate the realization of a.

Honours of Prizes

Statistics

For a complete statistical summary of the competition see Statistics of the First Division of Mexico

Regular phase historical classification

The following is the historical table of the regular phase of the First Division (1943-Apertura 2022), in which the data does not include final phases, matches for the title or second place, nor promotion or relegation matches.

Historical scorers table

For a full detail see Maximum scorers of the First Division of Mexico

Pos. Player G. League LGL Part. Prom. Period Clubs 1 Evanivaldo Castro 312 289 23 429 0.72 1974-87 UNAM (151), Atlante (108), León (44), Tiger (9) 2 Carlos Hermosillo 294 269 25 539 0.54 1984-01 America (78), Monterrey (20), Cruz Azul (169), Necaxa (13), Atlante (7), Guadalajara (7) 3 Jared Borgetti 252 211 41 475 0.53 1994-10 Atlas (21), Santos (189), Dorados (8), Pachuca (8), Cruz Azul (7), Monterrey (10), Puebla (5), Morelia (4) 4 José Cardozo 249 206 43 332 0.75 1994-05 Toluca (249) 5 Horacio Casarín 238 238 - 326 0.73 1936-57 Atlante (107), Zacatepec (24), Spain (21), Necaxa (70), America (13), Monterrey (3) 6 Osvaldo Castro 214 210 4 398 0.53 1971-84 America (45), Jalisco (91), Neza (45), Atlético Potosino (24), UNAM (9) 7 Luis Alves 209 184 25 577 0.36 1986-03 America (162), Atlante (24), Necaxa (23) 8 Adalberto López 201 201 - 231 0.87 1942-55 Atlantean (10), Lion (126), Atlas (14), Gold (27), Guadalajara (24) 9 Eloir Perucci 199 192 7 398 0.50 1972-84 Laguna (66), Atlético Español (86), Cruz Azul (47) 10 Sergio Lira 191 182 9 564 0.33 1978-96 Tampico (36), Atlante (2), Oaxtepec (20), Tampico Madero (102), Tigres (18), Puebla (13) 11 Ricardo Peláez 187 170 17 1985-00 America (33), Necaxa (138), Guadalajara (16) 12 Ricardo Ferretti1 182 175 7 1977-91 Atlas (9), UNAM (116), Neza (6), Monterrey (9), Toluca (43) 13 Horacio López 172 160 12 1967-80 America (39), Blue Cross (133) 14 Ricardo Brandon1 172 159 13 1971-83 Atlético Español (55), Veracruz (45), Toluca (33), Atlético Potosino (15), Atletas Campesinos (12), Oaxtepec (9) 15 Enrique Borja 169 167. 2 1964-77 UNAM (69), America (100) Updated statistics up to the last game played the 30 October 2022.

Evanivaldo Castro, the most historic league scorer with 312 goals.

Players with the most games played

For a complete detail see Players with more presences in the First Division of Mexico

Pos. Player Part. League LGL Period Clubs 1 Oscar Pérez 741 664 77 1993-19 Blue Cross (417), Tiger (30), Chiapas (30), Necaxa (34), San Luis (62), Pachuca (168) 2 Oswaldo Sánchez 725 631 94 1993-14 Atlas (81), America (76), Guadalajara (272), Santos (296) 3 Benjamin Galindo 700 633 671 1979-01 Tampico (73), Tampico Madero (135), Guadalajara (296), Santos (101), Cruz Azul (72), Pachuca (20) 4 Juan Pablo Rodríguez 685 595 90 1997-18 Atlas (203), Tecos (107), Guadalajara (13), Santos (294), Morelia (68) 5 Jesus Crown 650 583 67 2003- Atlas (47), UAG Tecos (168), Blue Cross (435) 6 Rodrigo Ruiz 638 582 56 1994-12 Puebla (65), Toros Neza (132), Santos (294), Tecos (130), Veracruz (17) 7 Adolfo Ríos 635 582 53 1986-04 UNAM (166), Veracruz (247), Necaxa (71), America (141) 8 Miguel Spain 631 573 58 1983-03 UNAM (410), Tiger (34), Santos (187) 9 Alfonso Sosa 610 563 47 1985-04 UdeG (226), Puebla (73), León (71) Monterrey (34), Cruz Azul (36), Pachuca (138), Querétaro (32) 10 Cristóbal Ortega 609 535 74 1974-92 America (609) 10 Sinha 609 524 85 1999-17 Monterrey (17), Toluca (548), Quéretaro (44) 12 Israel López 604 551 53 1993-12 UNAM (223), Guadalajara (34), Cruz Azul (57), Toluca (180), Necaxa (11), Querétaro (18), Students (17) 13 Carlos Adrián Morales 604 531 73 1999-18 Morelia (323), Pachuca (8), Tigres (61), Deportivo Toluca (72), Tecos (34), Santos (86), Lobos BUAP (20) 14 Luis Roberto Alves 577 506 71 1986-03 America (403), Atlante (72), Necaxa (104) 15 Sergio Lira 564 529 29 1978-95 Tampico (110), Tampico Madero (215), Atlante (22), Oaxatepec (57), Tigres (67), Puebla (91) Updated statistics up to the last game played the 30 October 2022.

Óscar Pérez, player with more league games.

1 Benjamín Galindo played the three games of the non-relegation league corresponding to the 1981-82 season with Tampico, a series in which he would lose the category against Atlas, these duels they are part of his history of games in the First Division. In bold, active players and their current club

Technical directors with the most games managed

Data updated to Opening 2022

N.o	Coach	PT	LG	LL	Period	Equipment
1	Ricardo Ferretti	1209	1063	146	1991 -	UNAM (346), Guadalajara (160), Tigres (572), Toluca (58), Morelia (38), F.C. Juárez (34)
2	Ignacio Trelles	1081	1033	48	1951 - 1991	Zacatepec (198), Mars (22), America (78), Toluca (204), Puebla (115), Blue Cross (266), Atlante (78), UdeG (120)
3	Víctor Manuel Vucetich	876	789	87	1990 -	León (141), UAG (125), Tigres (67), Cruz Azul (26), La Piedad (28), Puebla (19), Pachuca (46), Veracruz (26), Jaguares (19), Monterrey (223), Querétaro (111), Guadalajara (45)
4	Carlos Reinoso	800	740	60	1981 - 2017	America (221), Tampico Madero (122), Atlas (30), Tiger (116), Toros Neza (38), Veracruz (125), León (55), Atlante (25), San Luis (22), UAG (23), Querétaro (28)
5	Enrique Meza	799	704	95	1982 -	Cruz Azul (262), Morelia (58), Toros Neza (46), Toluca (179), Atlas (30), Pachuca (172), Puebla (45), Veracruz (7)
6	Alberto Guerra	789	731	58	1975 - 2003	Atlético Potosino (166), Guadalajara (370), UdeG (122), Toros Neza (47), León (18), La Piedad (7), Tiger (8), UAG (51)
7	Ricardo La Volpe	781	725	56	1983 -	Atlante (248), Oaxtepec (33), Ángeles de Puebla (57), Guadalajara (18), Querétaro (38), Atlas (196), Toluca (83), Monterrey (38), América (34), Chiapas (36)
8	Carlos Miloc	770	730	40	1961 - 1998	Tigers (211), Irapuato (164), Morelia (52), America (24), Pachuca (34), Torreón (22), Veracruz (41), San Luis Potosí (44), UAG (44), Guadalajara (38), Tampico Madero (54), Correcaminos UAT (5), Cobras (30), León (7)
9	Antonio Carbajal	702	674	28	1961 - 1994	Atlético Morelia (409), León (151), Union of Curtidores (142)
10	Javier De la Torre	693	685	8	1955 - 1984	Guadalajara (397), Celaya (15), Jalisco (112), UdeG (150), UAG (19)

In bold, active coaches and their current club

• Alberto Guerra led 11 matches to Atlético Potosino in 1975-76 in duet with Ciro Barbosa, these games are included in his account.
• Carlos Miloc, led 50 matches to Irapuato between 1967-69 and 30 to Morelia in 1966-67 to duo with Fernando Reynoso and Alberto Gálvez respectively, are also included in his account.
• Ricardo La Volpe led the 44 matches of the 1988-89 season (38 league and 6 league) in dupla with Rafael Puente in the Atlante.

Technical directors with the most titles

N.o	Coach	Titles	Period	Equipment	Championships
1	Ignacio Trelles	7	1951 - 1991	Mars (1), Zacatepec (2), Deportivo Toluca (2), Cruz Azul (2)	1953-54, 1954-55, 1957-58, 1966-67, 1967-68, 1978-79, 1979-80
	Ricardo Ferretti	7	1991 -	Guadalajara (1), UNAM (1), Tiger UANL (5)	V1997, C2009, A2011, A2015, A2016, A2017, C2019
3	Raúl Cárdenas	6	1966 - 1998	Blue Cross (5), America (1)	1968-69, Mexico 1970, 1971-72, 1972-73, 1973-74, 1975-76
4	Javier de la Torre	5	1955 - 1984	Guadalajara (5)	1960-61, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70
	Manuel Lapuente	5	1978 - 2013	Puebla (2), Necaxa (2), America (1)	1982-83, 1989-90, 1994-95, 1995-96, V2002
	Víctor Manuel Vucetich	5	1990 -	Leon (1), Tecos (1), Pachuca (1), Monterrey (2)	1991-92, 1993-94, A2003, A2009, A2010
7	Enrique Meza	4	1982 -	Toluca (3), Pachuca (1)	V1998, V1999, V2000, C2007
8	Arpád Fekete	3	1957 - 1990	Guadalajara (2), Club Oro (1)	1958-59, 1959-60, 1962-63
	José Manuel de la Torre	3	2006 -	Guadalajara (1), Toluca (2)	A2006, A2008, Bicentennial 2010
	Antonio Mohamed	3	2011 -	Tijuana (1), America (1), Monterrey (1)	A2012, A2014, A2019

In bold, active technicians.

TV rights and broadcasts

The broadcasting rights for open television, or a national network of 11 First Division teams, are divided between Televisa and TV Azteca. While in the pay television or restricted systems it is distributed between Televisa (through its subsidiaries TUDN, Afizzionados and Vix in which it can have pre-selected matches from TV Azteca and its own company, to broadcast them exclusively through one of these channels), ESPN, FOX Sports, Claro Sports and Chivas TV.

The companies that own the international rights to Mexican soccer for the United States are ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, TUDN and Telemundo. In September 2011, the Brazilian company Traffic acquired the television rights of the Mexican Soccer League and the Mexican National Team from the Mexican Federation, according to a report published by the Sports Pro consultancy and also broadcast by ESPN Brasil. The agreement lasted until the 2014 World Cup. And in turn, Traffic resold the television rights to the Arab network Al Jazeera for the territories of the Middle East, North Africa and France, also until 2014. The Asian chain has 16 transmission channels via the Internet that are called AlJazeerasport.tv and where one Mexican League game is broadcast a week, there is no defined method of election. This communication route has the possibility of having an impact in 23 countries in the Middle East and North Africa, which allows it to be observed in countries such as Iran or Qatar. Oromar TV and Oromar HD from Ecuador also have the rights to broadcast it. In Central America it is broadcast by ESPN/Star+, TUDN and Claro Sports. Eurosport broadcasts in much of Europe.