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Liga MX

Liga MX is the top professional men’s football league in Mexico.

By Ethan Anderson| Reviewed by Olivia Bennett, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead| Updated July 27, 2026|2 min read| Fact-checked

Liga MX is the top professional men's football league in Mexico, operating as the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Currently sponsored as Liga BBVA MX, the league features 18 clubs and uses a split-season format with Apertura and Clausura tournaments, each ending in a playoff phase called the liguilla. Promotion and relegation have been suspended since 2020.

Overview

Liga MX is Mexico's top men's professional football league. It operates independently within the Mexican football structure and is widely recognized as one of the major leagues in North American soccer.

Format

The league plays two short tournaments each year: Apertura from July to December and Clausura from January to May. Each tournament has its own champion determined through a playoff stage called the liguilla.

History

The competition was known as Liga Mayor from 1943 to 1949 and as Primera División de México from 1949 to 2012. The Liga MX branding was introduced in 2012.

Current structure

Liga MX currently features 18 clubs. Since 2020, promotion and relegation with the lower divisions has been suspended.

Key facts

  • Liga MX is the highest level of the Mexican football league system.
  • The league has 18 participating clubs.
  • Its season is split into two tournaments: Apertura and Clausura.
  • Each tournament ends with a knockout playoff phase known as the liguilla.
  • Promotion and relegation have been suspended since 2020.
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Canadian context

Liga MX has a significant audience in Canada, especially among Mexican and broader Latin American communities, and its matches are commonly followed alongside MLS in Canadian soccer coverage.

Frequently asked questions

What is Liga MX?
Liga MX is Mexico's top professional men's football league and the highest level of the Mexican football league system.
How many teams are in Liga MX?
Liga MX has 18 teams.
When does Liga MX start?
Its Apertura tournament typically runs from July to December, while the Clausura runs from January to May.
Who won Liga MX this year?
The current champion was not stated in the available sources. A 2026 German-language source listed Cruz Azul as the Clausura 2026 champion, but that is the only current-result source provided here.
What channel is Liga MX on?
Broadcast rights vary by country and platform, so no single channel applies everywhere. The provided sources do not identify one universal channel.
Is Liga MX better than MLS?
There is no objective, universally accepted answer. The two leagues are different in format, talent pool, and business model, so comparisons depend on the criterion used.

References

  1. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_MX
    Supports: League identity, 18 teams, split-season format, former names, and suspended promotion/relegation.
  2. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_football_league_system
    Supports: Liga MX as the highest level of the Mexican football league system and its organizational context.
  3. Leagues Cup — https://www.leaguescup.com/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-liga-mx-understanding-the-passion-the-pride-and-the-party-of-mexican-soccer
    Supports: Apertura/Clausura format and recent champion context.
  4. Wikipedia (German) — https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liga_MX
    Supports: A 2026 championship result cited in the available results.