After a nearly two-month break, Liga MX returns this weekend with the start of the Apertura tournament. Reigning champions Toluca will look to defend their title against a field of strong contenders.
Led by Argentine coach Antonio Mohamed, the “Diablos Rojos” ended a five-year title drought by defeating América, denying them a historic fourth consecutive championship. Toluca has retained its key players in a bid for a back-to-back championship, which would bring their total to 12 titles and tie them with Chivas as the second-most decorated club in Mexican football history.
### Cruz Azul: The Front-Runners
After falling short in a final and a subsequent semifinal against América, Cruz Azul’s management made a surprising move by dismissing Uruguayan coach Vicente Sánchez, despite him leading the team to a CONCACAF Champions League title. He has been replaced by Argentine Nicolás Larcamón, who is tasked with securing the club’s first league title since the Clausura 2021 tournament.
Known as “La Máquina,” the team has been one of Mexico’s most consistent performers over the last three tournaments, accumulating the most points in 2024. While this earned them a one-million-dollar prize, a league championship has remained elusive.
Larcamón inherits much of that roster, which has been bolstered by the arrival of Argentine midfielder José Paradela and Jeremy Márquez, who was recently cut from Mexico’s Gold Cup squad. The club is also in negotiations for Serbian striker Luka Jovic, a move that would require releasing a foreign player, potentially Greek forward Giorgos Giakoumakis, who has underperformed.
“We want to be a team that truly represents our history and our fans,” Larcamón stated. “We aim to be a dominant, leading team.”
### Chivas: Aiming for a Resurgence
Following several tournaments of failed coaching experiments and minimal roster investment, the Chivas management is determined to prevent Toluca from matching their title count. After an extensive search, Guadalajara has appointed Gabriel Milito as its new coach. The Argentine, who led Atlético Mineiro to a Copa Libertadores runner-up finish last year, becomes the club’s fourth coach in just two years.
On the pitch, Milito will have several new faces to work with, including midfielder Richy Ledezma, who joins from PSV Eindhoven; forward Efraín Álvarez, a member of Mexico’s Gold Cup squad; and Brian González, a standout full-back from Pachuca.
“I came to Chivas to grow and to help the team grow; I see this as a significant challenge,” Milito said. “The goals at a club this big are clear: we want to build a winning team as quickly as possible.”
Chivas has not won a league title since the Clausura 2017 tournament.
### América: Seeking Redemption
Club América endured a difficult first half of the year, failing to achieve any of its major objectives. The club was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions League, fell short in the domestic league, and lost a play-off match against LAFC for a spot in the Club World Cup.
Owner Emilio Azcárraga promised significant changes, but so far the club has only signed a pair of promising Mexican players who do not address the team’s primary weakness: a lack of goal-scoring. Furthermore, América has seen the departure of Chilean midfielder Diego Valdés, while Uruguayan Brian Rodríguez also has offers to leave.
Unless “Las Águilas” make more impactful signings before the transfer window closes in September, they may struggle to compete with top contenders.
### Pumas: A Shift in Philosophy
Historically known for developing young talent, Pumas appears to be shifting its philosophy out of desperation to end a title drought that dates back to the Clausura 2011. The club made a high-profile move by signing Welsh midfielder Aaron Ramsey. The 34-year-old, who was considering retirement, accepted the offer in an effort to stay in form for the 2026 World Cup.
Pumas is also attempting to finalize a deal for veteran 39-year-old Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas, currently with Argentina’s Newell’s Old Boys. Besides Ramsey, the only other official signing is Colombian full-back Álvaro Angulo. With its current roster, ending the long championship drought appears to be a difficult task.
### The Monterrey Contenders
Fresh off a strong showing at the Club World Cup, where they advanced from the group stage and challenged Borussia Dortmund, expectations are high for Monterrey. Under new Spanish coach Domenec Torrent, who replaced Martín Demichelis, the team has shown a transformed identity in just a few weeks, despite making no new signings. However, a short offseason break could prove to be a challenge for the club.
Meanwhile, cross-town rivals Tigres have made a significant move, acquiring Argentine forward Ángel Correa from Atlético de Madrid. Correa, a 30-year-old member of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad, will strengthen a Tigres side that also welcomes back star French striker André-Pierre Gignac, who was injured for much of the last season.
Both clubs from northern Mexico appear poised to challenge for a title that has eluded Rayados since the Apertura 2019 and Tigres since the Clausura 2023.
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