History of Liga MX Femenil in Timeline

Liga MX Femenil is the top professional women's soccer league in Mexico, overseen by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). It features 18 teams, each affiliated with a Liga MX club. Established to foster women's soccer in Mexico, the league provides a platform for female athletes to compete professionally. The league is also known as Liga BBVA MX Femenil due to sponsorship reasons. It represents the highest level of women's football in the country.

1971: Highest Attendance on a Women's Football Match

In 1971, Mexico held the record for the highest attendance on a women's football match, which took place during the 1971 Women's World Cup final at Estadio Azteca.

2007: Liga Mexicana de Fútbol Femenil Attempt

In 2007, the Liga Mexicana de Fútbol Femenil was founded to professionalize women's football in Mexico, but faced challenges due to lack of sponsorships, media coverage, and fan support, leading to clubs like Chivas withdrawing support.

November 2012: Establishment of NWSL

In November 2012, the United States Soccer Federation announced the creation of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).

2013: Mexican Players Allocated to NWSL Clubs

In 2013, as part of an agreement with the U.S. Soccer Federation, the Mexican Football Federation began allocating Mexican players such as Maribel Domínguez and Mónica Ocampo to NWSL clubs and covering their salaries.

2014: Club Tijuana Creates Professional Women's Team

In 2014, Marbella Ibarra advocated for and persuaded Club Tijuana to create a professional women's team, with Andrea Rodebaugh managing the program during its time in the Women's Premier Soccer League.

December 2016: Formation of Liga MX Femenil Announced

On December 5, 2016, Liga MX President Enrique Bonilla announced the formation of Liga MX Femenil during a general assembly meeting. 16 out of 18 Liga MX clubs would field U-23 rosters with U-17 players and up to two overage players.

2016: Mexican Federation Ends NWSL Player Allocation

In early 2016, the Mexican Football Federation announced it would stop allocating players to the NWSL due to limited playing time for those players, foreshadowing the establishment of Liga MX Femenil.

May 2017: Copa MX Femenil Warm-up Tournament

Between May 3 and May 6, 2017, teams participated in Copa MX Femenil, a warm-up tournament before the inaugural season. Pachuca won the tournament by defeating Club Tijuana 9–1 in the final.

July 2017: First Liga MX Femenil Matches Played

On July 28, 2017, the first Liga MX Femenil matches were played, marking the start of the inaugural season.

November 2017: Chivas Wins First Liga MX Femenil Championship

On November 24, 2017, Chivas won the first Liga MX Femenil championship, defeating Pachuca in the final. The matches drew record crowds of 28,955 and 32,466 spectators.

2017: Inaugural Season Competition Format

In 2017, the regular phase competition format consisted of 16 teams divided into two groups of eight, with the top two teams from each group qualifying for the semi-finals of the Liguilla.

2018: All Liga MX Clubs Have Active Liga MX Femenil Sides

By the second season in 2018, all 18 clubs had an active Liga MX Femenil side. Chiapas had been relegated to Ascenso MX, while Lobos BUAP had been promoted to Liga MX.

2018: Record Attendance at Estadio BBVA

During the Clausura 2018 tournament, the second match of the final between Monterrey and Tigres at Estadio BBVA set a record for the highest-attended club match in women's football history at the time, with 51,211 fans.

2018: Houston Dash Defeats Monterrey

In 2018, the Houston Dash faced Monterrey in a preseason match, which ended with a 3–1 victory in favor of the Dash, representing the first time that a Liga MX Femenil team faced an NWSL side.

2018: Previous Attendance Record

In 2018, the previous attendance record was set during the Clausura 2018 final between Monterrey and Tigres (51,211 attendees).

2018: Regular Phase Format Change and Team Additions

In 2018, the regular phase format was changed along with the addition of two more teams. The 18 teams were divided into two groups of nine, with the top four teams from each group qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Liguilla.

June 2019: BBVA México Sponsors Liga MX Femenil

In June 2019, BBVA México announced it would sponsor Liga MX Femenil for at least three years, changing the league's name to Liga BBVA MX Femenil.

October 2019: Tigres Defeats Houston Dash

On October 5, 2019, Tigres defeated Houston Dash 2–1 at Estadio Universitario, marking the first victory for a Liga MX Femenil team against an NWSL team.

2019: Lobos BUAP and Puebla Introduce Liga MX Femenil Sides

During the 2018–2019 season, Lobos BUAP and Puebla introduced their Liga MX Femenil sides.

2019: Current Regular Phase Format Implemented

In 2019, the format was changed again, implementing the current format of a single table of 18 teams. The top eight teams advance to the quarter-finals of the liguilla after 17 matchdays.

2019: Expansion and Contraction of League Teams

In 2019, the league expanded to 19 teams with the introduction of Atlético San Luis Femenil. After the Apertura 2019, Veracruz folded, reducing the league back to 18 teams.

June 2020: Monarcas Morelia Relocated to Mazatlán

In June 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monarcas Morelia franchise was relocated to Mazatlán, ending Morelia Femenil's three-year trajectory and creating Mazatlán F.C. as the newest member of the league.

2020: Introduction of Campeón de Campeonas

In 2020, the Campeón de Campeonas, a domestic super cup between the Liga MX Femenil champions of the Apertura and Clausura tournaments, was introduced to the league.

June 2021: Teams Allowed to Have Two Non-Mexican Players

In June 2021, for the fifth season, teams were allowed to have two non-Mexican players. Tigres signed Brazilian player Stefany Ferrer, becoming the first club to do so. Also, the league inaugurated its youth division where Club América won the initial tournament.

2021: Overage Limit Removed and Campeón de Campeonas Introduced

In 2021, for the fourth season, the overage limit was removed, but teams were required to allocate 1,000 minutes to U-20 players. The Campeón de Campeonas championship was introduced, with Tigres winning the first edition.

July 2022: Club América Plays Against Bayer 04 Leverkusen

On July 5, 2022, Club América played against Frauen-Bundesliga team Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Estadio Azteca, marking the first time a Liga MX Femenil team faced a European team. América won the match 1–0.

November 2022: Record Attendance and TV Viewership

In November 2022, the first match of the Apertura 2022 final between Tigres and Club América at Estadio Azteca drew approximately 52,654 fans, breaking the previous attendance record from 2018. The final was also viewed by more than 5.3 million people, setting a new TV viewership record for Liga MX Femenil finals. The Apertura 2022 tournament was the most-viewed tournament in Liga MX Femenil history until that point.

2022: Previous Attendance Record Set During Apertura 2022 Final

In 2022, the previous attendance record was set during the Apertura 2022 final.

2022: Establishment of Youth Division

Since 2022, Liga MX Femenil has had a youth division to develop talent, in which all clubs are required to participate. The division initially started as a U-17 division.

March 2023: Nike Becomes Official Sponsor

On March 29, 2023, Liga MX Femenil announced that Nike would become an official sponsor of the league, providing the official match ball, equipment, product innovation, and investment in development programs.

2023: First Transfer Fee Paid Between Liga MX Femenil Clubs

During the Apertura 2023 tournament, the transfer of Miah Zuazua from FC Juárez to Club América marked the first time a transfer fee was paid between two Liga MX Femenil clubs.

2023: Record-Breaking Transfer and Attendance in Clausura 2023

During the Clausura 2023 tournament, Club América transferred Scarlett Camberos to Angel City FC, marking the largest transfer in league history for an outgoing player. In 2023, the attendance record was broken again during the Clausura 2023 final with 58,156 fans. The Clausura 2023 also became the most viewed tournament with more than 15 million viewers.

2023: Youth Division Becomes U-19 Division

In 2023, the youth division gradually incremented the allowed age of the players that could participate in it after each season until it became a U-19 division during the 2023-24 season.

March 2024: CONCACAF W Champions Cup Announcement

On March 12, 2024, CONCACAF announced the CONCACAF W Champions Cup, its annual continental women's football club competition. Liga MX Femenil is allocated three spots into the group stage.

March 2024: Announcement of Summer Cup

On March 20, 2024, Liga MX Femenil and the NWSL announced a new international competition named Summer Cup. Six teams from Liga MX Femenil will compete against teams from the NWSL.

March 2024: NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup Announcement

On March 20, 2024, Liga MX Femenil and the NWSL announced the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. The six teams with the most points across the previous year's Clausura and Apertura tournaments qualify for the inaugural 2024 edition.

July 2024: Inaugural Edition of Summer Cup Begins

The inaugural edition of the Summer Cup, a competition between Liga MX Femenil and NWSL teams, began on July 19, 2024.

September 2024: Record Transfer Fee for Incoming Player

On September 12, 2024, América reached an agreement with SC Internacional to transfer 20-year-old Brazilian international forward Priscila in exchange for a $497,403 fee plus incentives, marking the largest transfer fee for an incoming player in Liga MX Femenil history.

September 2024: Announcement of Liga TDP Femenil

On September 25, 2024, Liga TDP Femenil was announced with the support of the Mexican Football Federation, Liga TDP, and Liga Premier clubs to develop players for Liga MX Femenil clubs.

October 2024: Inaugural Season of Liga TDP Femenil Begins

On October 8, 2024, the first season of Liga TDP Femenil officially began.

November 2024: C.F. Monterrey Wins Apertura 2024 Final

In November 2024, C.F. Monterrey won the Apertura 2024 final, defeating Tigres UANL in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 aggregate score.

2024: Liga MX Femenil Participating Clubs

In 2024, the 18 clubs are competing in Liga MX Femenil during the 2024–25 season.

2025: Mandatory Women's Sides in Liga MX

As of 2025, every Liga MX side has a respective women’s side due to Liga MX regulations.

2025: Liga MX Femenil Launches "FutFem Donde Sea" Initiative

In 2025, Liga MX Femenil initiated "FutFem Donde Sea", beginning with the Clausura 2025 tournament to produce TV broadcasts of home games for select teams (América, Cruz Azul, Monterrey, Necaxa, Pumas, and Toluca) and stream these games through YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok to broaden audience reach.