The Liga MX, sponsored as Liga BBVA MX, is Mexico's top football league. Comprising 18 clubs, it features two tournaments, "Apertura" and "Clausura," running from July to December and January to May respectively. Champions are determined via a playoff system ("Liguilla"). From 2020 to 2026, promotion and relegation are temporarily halted.
1943: Establishment of Liga MX
The year 1943 marked a significant milestone in Mexican football history with the inception of the professional national league, later known as Liga MX.
1970: The Liguilla Introduced
The year 1970 saw the introduction of "La Liguilla," a playoff format designed to determine the league champion. This innovation modernized the league, providing financially struggling clubs with a better chance to compete and generate revenue.
1970: Introduction of the Liguilla
Following the 1970 World Cup, Liga MX introduced the playoff phase, known as the "Liguilla," to determine the national champion.
1986: Voit Becomes Official Match Ball Manufacturer for Liga MX
Voit became the official match ball manufacturer for Liga MX.
1996: Invierno and Verano Tournaments Introduced
From 1996 to 2002, Liga MX adopted a two-tournament format, featuring the "Invierno" (winter) and "Verano" (summer) tournaments.
2002: New League Format Implemented
A new league structure was introduced in 2002, dividing the 18 teams into three groups of six. This format remained in place until 2011.
2011: New Rule for Final Game Scheduling
In 2011, Liga MX implemented a new rule requiring teams to play their final game of the season on Sunday during prime time. This rule aimed to maximize television viewership and reduce the potential for playoff collusion.
2012: Liga MX / Ascenso MX Organization Formed
The year 2012 saw the formation of the Liga MX / Ascenso MX organization, replacing the Mexican Football Federation as the competition's organizing body. This move coincided with a rebranding effort, including a new logo.
2012: Television Rights Dispute Arises
The year 2012 saw a dispute over television rights emerge following the promotion of Club León, prompting Liga MX to cancel an agreement mandating promoted teams to negotiate broadcasting rights solely with the company that held the rights of the relegated team.
2012: Liga MX Before Title Sponsorship
Before 2012, and prior to BBVA Bancomer's involvement, Liga MX did not have a title sponsor.
July 2013: BBVA Bancomer Announced as Liga MX Title Sponsor
In July 2013, BBVA Bancomer became the official title sponsor of Liga MX, aiming to modernize the league's image. The sponsorship revenue was to be distributed among the 18 clubs for investment in their youth teams.
2014: Voit Extends Match Ball Contract with Liga MX
Voit extended its contract as the official match ball manufacturer for Liga MX for another four years.
September 2015: Liga MX Extends Sponsorship with BBVA Bancomer
The sponsorship agreement with BBVA Bancomer was extended until 2019.
2016: Guadalajara Home Matches Move to Streaming
The Apertura 2016 season saw a shift in broadcasting for Guadalajara's home matches, which were moved exclusively to Chivas TV, an internet streaming platform.
February 13, 2017: Univision Deportes to Live Stream Liga MX Games on Facebook
On February 13, 2017, Univision Deportes announced it would live stream 46 Liga MX games in English on Facebook for viewers in the United States.
April 8, 2017: Guadalajara Matches Return to Traditional Broadcasting
Guadalajara's home matches returned to traditional broadcasting on April 8, 2017, appearing on both Televisa's Televisa Deportes Network (TDN) and Chivas TV.
July 2017: TVN to Broadcast Liga MX Matches in Chile
In July 2017, Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) announced it would broadcast Liga MX matches, specifically those featuring Chilean players, to audiences in Chile.
September 2017: Univision Acquires Rights to Most Liga MX Teams
Following the Clausura 2017 season, Univision acquired the broadcasting rights for matches of Atlas, Morelia, Tijuana, and Veracruz from Azteca América. By September 2017, Univision secured the rights to broadcast matches of all 18 Liga MX teams, including newly promoted Lobos BUAP.
October 2017: Fox Sports Secures Rights to Tijuana and Santos Laguna Matches
In October 2017, Fox Sports announced the acquisition of long-term exclusive Spanish-language broadcasting rights for Tijuana and Santos Laguna home matches. This agreement, covering the United States, Mexico, and other Latin American countries, started from the Apertura 2018 and Apertura 2019 seasons, respectively.
2017: Changes to Promotion and Relegation Rules
Significant changes to the rules governing promotion and relegation were implemented in 2017. One notable change stipulated that a promoted team failing to meet Liga MX requirements would result in the relegated Liga MX team paying prize money to the Ascenso MX team to help them meet those requirements. If the payment wasn't possible, both teams would be relegated to Ascenso MX.
May 26, 2018: Fox Sports Acquires Rights to C.F. Monterrey Home Matches
On May 26, 2018, Fox Sports announced the acquisition of rights to broadcast C.F. Monterrey's home matches in the United States and Latin America. These matches would be available in Spanish on Fox Deportes (US) and in English on various Fox Sports networks.
August 2018: Testing of VAR Begins
In August 2018, Liga MX embarked on a trial run of the video assistant referee (VAR) technology. The initial tests were conducted during under-20 matches played in senior league stadiums, with plans for live testing during Apertura tournament weeks 13 and 14, pending FIFA's approval for full implementation.
2018: Fox Sports Begins Broadcasting Tijuana Home Matches
Commencing with the Apertura 2018 season, Fox Sports began broadcasting Tijuana's home matches in Spanish on Fox Deportes (US) and across Latin America (excluding Brazil).
2018: Univision Holds Broadcasting Rights for All Liga MX Teams
Throughout 2018, Univision maintained its exclusive broadcasting rights for all 18 Liga MX teams until the end of the Clausura 2018 season.
June 2019: Liga MX Rebranded as Liga BBVA MX
The league underwent a rebranding in June 2019, officially becoming Liga BBVA MX to reflect the sponsor's new identity.
July 2019: Liga MX Renews Sponsorship with BBVA
The sponsorship contract with BBVA was renewed again in July 2019, extending the partnership until 2021.
2019: Fox Sports Begins Broadcasting Santos Laguna Home Matches
With the start of the Apertura 2019 season, Fox Sports began broadcasting Santos Laguna's home matches in Spanish on Fox Deportes (US) and across Latin America (excluding Brazil).
2019: Coronavirus Pandemic Impacts Ascenso MX
The 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic had a significant impact on Ascenso MX, contributing to its eventual folding and the suspension of promotion and relegation.
2019: DAZN Begins Broadcasting Liga MX in Brazil
Starting with the 2019-20 season, DAZN began broadcasting Liga MX matches in Brazil.
2019: ESPN Deportes Begins Broadcasting Select Liga MX Matches
Starting in the Apertura 2019 season, ESPN Deportes, through a sublicensing agreement with Univision, began airing most regular season home matches of León, Necaxa, Pachuca, Querétaro, and UANL in the United States. They also broadcasted at least one home match from nine other clubs. In Mexico and Central America, Televisa sublicensed one match per week to ESPN.
April 16, 2020: Ascenso MX Folded, Promotion and Relegation Suspended
On April 16, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and financial constraints led to the folding of Ascenso MX, the second division. Consequently, promotion and relegation were put on hold for six years, and Ascenso MX was replaced by Liga de Expansión MX, with no promotion or relegation between the leagues during this period.
2020: DAZN Continues Broadcasting Liga MX in Brazil
DAZN continued broadcasting Liga MX matches in Brazil for the 2020-21 season.
2020: Promotion and Relegation Suspended
In 2020, Liga MX decided to suspend the promotion and relegation system, a decision set to last until 2026.
2021: Eleven Sports to Broadcast C.D. Guadalajara Home Matches
On August 16, 2021, Eleven Sports announced they would broadcast C.D. Guadalajara's Liga MX home matches for the 2021-22 season in over 100 countries.
2021: OneFootball to Broadcast Select Liga MX Matches Internationally
On July 15, 2021, OneFootball announced a deal securing rights to broadcast two to five live Liga MX matches per week during the 2021/22 season. This coverage was available in selected international markets.
2021: End of BBVA's Sponsorship
The sponsorship agreement between Liga MX and BBVA concluded in 2021.