Who is the Liga MX champion in Mexico? All-time list of league winners for Clausura, Apertura tournaments

Kyle Bonn

Who is the Liga MX champion in Mexico? All-time list of league winners for Clausura, Apertura tournaments image

The Mexican top flight is considered one of the top leagues in the Americas, featuring several storied sides that spare no expense to compete for the league title every season.

Known today as Liga MX (often referred to as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship purposes), the league consists of 18 clubs which play split seasons called the Apertura (July to December) and Clausura (January to May). Both consist of 17 regular season matches that are followed by a playoff format which crowns an Apertura and Clausura champion.

The split season format has been in effect since 1996-97, and playoffs have been utilized since 1970-71. Before that, a traditional single-table league season was employed when the league turned professional in 1943-44.

The 2021-22 campaign saw Atlas of Guadalajara hoist both the Apertura and Clausura titles with their defend-and-counter playing style under Argentine manager Diego Cocca proving especially effective during the playoffs. Atlas were also one of the top performers during the regular season, finishing in 2nd and 3rd place in the Apertura 2021 and Clausura 2022.

Club America and Pachuca were the leaders of the half-season tables, and Tigres UANL had the best combined points total across both Apertura and Clausura seasons, but all three clubs fell short in the playoffs.

The Sporting News brings you a full overview of the 2021-22 Liga MX season as well as a historical perspective on the recent league history.

Who is the Mexican champion in Liga MX?

The two-time defending Liga MX champion is Atlas, which hails from the city of Guadalajara. Los Zorros, as they're nicknamed, ended a 70-year title drought when they won the 2021 Apertura, and then followed that up with a repeat performance in the 2022 Clausura. The back-to-back titles have many calling it the best Atlas team in the club's long history.

It's a squad built by Cocca which features a group of international stars alongside a handful of homegrown talent, and the combination has brought unprecedented success to the club. The rock-solid team structure devised by Cocca has made them hard to beat, and in turn, they rarely beat themselves with mistakes.

Colombian goalkeeper Camilo Vargas is the undisputed starter behind Anderson Santamaria (Peru), Hugo Nervo (Argentina) and Ema Aguilera (Argentina), who eat up many of the minutes on the back line. Ecuadorean left (wing)back Anibal Chala has also proven to be a difference-maker as a two-way player.

Mexican club captain Aldo Rocha sets the tone with his fight and work rate in midfield, regularly supported by Atlas academy products Edgar Zaldivar, Jeremy Marquez, Luis Reyes, and Diego Barbosa. The latter two are wingbacks, who have operated plenty in the middle of the field.

The goals have typically been the purview of Colombian loanee forward Julian Quinones (11 goals) or talismanic Argentine striker Julio Furch (10 goals).

After getting past Monterrey (quarterfinals), Pumas (semifinals) and Leon (final) to win the Apertura 2021 title, Atlas took care of eternal rivals Chivas (quarterfinals), Tigres UANL (semifinals) and Pachuca (final) on the road to its latest championship. Pachuca and Tigres also happened to be the top two seeds during the Clausura regular season.

2022 Clausura

The 2022 Clausura regular season was topped by Pachuca, whose 38 points were good enough to finish clear of second-placed UNAL Tigres.

The top four finishers in the regular season are shown below.

Position Club GP Pts W-L-D GD
1. Pachuca 17 38 12-3-2 +15
2. UNAL Tigres 17 33 10-4-3 +10
3. Atlas 17 27 7-4-6 +6
4.  Club America 17 26 7-5-5 +7

The top four seeds met the four teams which emerged from the single-elimination play-in round. Here's how the quarterfinals unfolded:

Quarterfinals — 1st Leg

Date Match  
May 11, 2022 Atletico San Luis 2-2 Pachuca Highlights
May 11, 2022 Puebla 1-1 Club America Highlights
May 12, 2022 Cruz Azul 0-1 Tigres UANL Highlights
May 12, 2022 Guadalajara 1-2 Atlas Highlights

Quarterfinals — 2nd Leg

Date Match  
May 14, 2022 Club America 3-2 Puebla
(America advance 4-3 on agg.)
Highlights
May 14, 2022 Pachuca 3-2 Atletico San Luis
(Pachuca advance 5-4 on agg.)
Highlights
May 15, 2022 Atlas 1-1 Guadalajara
(Atlas advance 3-2 on agg.)
Highlights
May 15, 2022 Tigres UANL 0-1 Cruz Azul
(Tigres advance due to higher seed
after 1-1 on agg.)
Highlights

Semifinals — 1st Leg

Date Match  
May 18, 2022 Atlas 3-0 Tigres UANL Highlights
May 19, 2022 Club America 1-1 Pachuca Highlights

Semifinals — 2nd Leg

Date Match  
May 21, 2022 Tigres UANL 4-2 Atlas
(Atlas advance 5-4 on agg.)
Highlights
May 22, 2022 Pachuca 3-0 Club America
(Pachuca advance 4-1 on agg.)
Highlights

Final — 1st Leg

Date Match  
May 26, 2022 Atlas 2-0 Pachuca Highlights

Final — 2nd Leg

Date Match  
May 29, 2022 Pachuca 2-1 Atlas
(Atlas win title 3-2 on agg.)
Highlights

Mexican league champions all-time

The current half-season format has been in place since 1996, when the league decided to split the campaign into two shorter 17-game seasons known as the Apertura and Clausura.

Season Apertura Champion Clausura Champion Best Overall
Reg. Season Record
2021-22 Atlas Atlas Tigres UANL (61pts)
2020-21 Club Leon Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (70 pts)
2019-20 Tigres UANL Abandoned
(COVID-19)
Club Leon (54 pts)
2018-19 Club America Tigres UANL Tigres UANL (66 pts)
2017-18 Tigres UANL Santos Laguna Monterrey (66 pts)
2016-17 Tigres UANL Chivas Guadalajara Tijuana (64 pts)
2015-16 Tigres UANL Pachuca Monterrey (60 pts)
2014-15 Club America Santos Laguna Tigres UANL (60 pts)
2013-14 Club Leon Club Leon Cruz Azul (65 pts)
2012-13 Tijuana Club America Club America (63 pts)
2011-12 Tigres UANL Santos Laguna Tigres UANL(59 pts)
2010-11 Monterrey Pumas UNAM Cruz Azul (65 pts)
2009-10 Monterrey Toluca Monterrey (66 pts)
2008-09 Toluca Pumas UNAM Toluca (63 pts)
2007-08 Atlante Santos Laguna Santos Laguna (69 pts)
2006-07 Chivas Guadalajara Pachuca Pachuca (65 pts)
2005-06 Toluca Pachuca Cruz Azul (60 pts)
2004-05 Pumas UNAM Club America Monarcas Morelia (57 pts)
2003-04 Pachuca Pumas UNAM Pumas UNAM (79 pts)
2002-03 Toluca Monterrey Toluca (74 pts)
2001-02 Pachuca Club America Toluca (67 pts)
2000-01 Monarcas Morelia Santos Laguna Cruz Azul (55 pts)
1999-00 Pachuca Toluca Toluca (72 pts)
1998-99 Necaxa Toluca Toluca (75 pts)
1997-98 Cruz Azul Toluca Cruz Azul (61 pts)
1996-97 Santos Laguna Chivas Guadalajara Atlante (66 pts)

A single regular season points table decided the title up until 1970-71, when playoffs were introduced.

Season Champion Reg. Season
Points Leader
1995-96 Necaxa Cruz Azul (56 pts)
1994-95 Necaxa Chivas Guadalajara (52pts)
1993-94 Tecos Tecos (51 pts)
1992-93 Atlante Necaxa (54 pts)
1991-92 Leon Atlante (50 pts)
1990-91 Pumas UNAM Pumas UNAM (61pts)
1989-90 Puebla Club America (48 pts)
1988-89 Club America Puebla (53 pts)
1987-88 Club America Club America (55 pts)
1986-87 Chivas Guadalajara Chiva Guadalajara (55 pts)
Mexico 1986 Monterrey Monterrey (29 pts)
1985 America America (12 pts)
(America won playoffs)
1984-85 Club America Pumas UNAM (55 pts)
1983-84 Club America Club America (51 pts)
1982-83 Puebla Club America (61 pts)
1981-82 Tigres UANL Atlante (53 pts)
1980-81 Pumas UNAM Tecos (51 pts)
1979-80 Cruz Azul America (57 pts)
1978-79 Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (51 pts)
1977-78 Tigres UANL Club America (51pts)
1976-77 Pumas UNAM Pumas UNAM (60pts)
1975-76 Club America Club America (53 pts)
1974-75 Toluca Club Leon (51pts)
1973-74 Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (49 pts)
1972-73 Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (46 pts)
1971-72 Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (51 pts)
1970-71 Club America Club America (44 pts)
Mexico 1970
(Feb.-Oct.)
Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (37 pts)
1969 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (45 pts)
1968-69 Cruz Azul Cruz Azul (44 pts)
1967-68 Toluca Toluca (44 pts)
1966-67 Toluca Toluca (41 pts)
1965-66 Club America Club America (42 pts)
1964-65 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (40 pts)
1963-64 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (37 pts)
1962-63 Oro Oro (36 pts)
1961-62 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (41 pts)
1960-61 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (39 pts)
1959-60 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (38 pts)
1958-59 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (38 pts)
1957-58 Zacatepec Zacatepec (39 pts)
1956-57 Chivas Guadalajara Chivas (36 pts)
1955-56 Leon Leon (37 pts)
(Won playoff vs. Oro)
1954-55 Zacatepec Zacatepec (32 pts)
1953-54 Marte Marte (26 pts)
1952-53 Tampico Madero Tampico Madero (34 pts)
1951-52 Leon Leon (31 pts)
1950-51 Atlas Atlas (30 pts)
1949-50 Veracruz Veracruz (39 pts)
1948-49 Leon Leon (39 pts)
1947-48 Leon Leon (36 pts)
(Won playoff vs. Oro)
1946-47 Atlante Atlante (42 pts)
1945-46 Veracruz Veracruz (45 pts)
1944-45 Club Espana Club Espana (38 pts)
1943-44 Asturias Asturias (27 pts)
(Won playoff vs. Espana)

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn Photo

Kyle Bonn, is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.