👀 What to watch as Liga MX returns
Yes, before the World Cup final
Liga MX is back, having resumed play with a pair of matches Thursday and getting in a full jornada before the World Cup final and starting the second round of games Tuesday.
Yes, the sprint season that is the Apertura is back.
Here’s a few things to watch as the ball gets rolling once again in one of the world’s most fun leagues to watch.
I touch on all of these things in my “While you were out” video as well, but here we go in the written word:
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The reigning champions find a busy, busy house
Cruz Azul won Liga MX just a few months ago, with interim manager Joel Huiqui taking the team where previous boss Nicolas Larcamon couldn’t.
There are some minor changes on the field, but off it the situation continued mostly unchanged until Friday.
After spending the last tournament largely in Puebla, La Maquina’s plan was to get back to Mexico City and play in the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes. But after announcing that their first home match would take place in Queretaro, the team reversed course after coming to an agreement late this week with Grupo Ollamani, which runs the Estadio Azteca.
Now, three Mexico City teams (América, Atlante and Cruz Azul) will be in the Azteca, with Pumas on the UNAM campus as always.
Cruz Azul were able to lift the trophy despite playing a two-hour drive from their actual base, but it did take a toll.
First, the actual playing surface made it nearly impossible to play the type of pass-connecting, beautiful soccer Larcamon wanted. Second, it removed almost any chance of a fightback in Concacaf Champions Cup after a blowout loss to LAFC in the first leg of the quarterfinals.
Now, Huiqui’s managerial credentials will be tested over the course of a full season rather than simply the playoffs, and he’ll be the one making choices about how the team plays habitually rather than just planning one match.
Miguel Herrera is back! So is Atlante!
And actually they’ve already played.
Necaxa and Atlante were the first teams to see the field in the new season, with Miguel Herrera making another debut leading the club. He also played for the team (check out that mullet), which is now in the first division.
It did not win promotion, however, with that mechanism totally frozen, despite the initial plans calling for it to be restored
Instead, Atlante purchased the license that belonged to Mazatlan and replaced the Krake in the top division. Mazatlan, thus far, has disappeared.
The roster is an interesting mix of players who were with Atlante in the second division and new arrivals with Liga MX experience - many on loan from larger clubs. Most Mazatlan players did not get moved over to the Potros.
Former Mexico youth star Eugenio Pizzuto, who has battled injuries, scored Atlante’s opener. FC Dallas youth product Nico Carrera captained the team.
Another MLS ex, Necaxa forward Julian Carranza scored from the spot and the Rayos added a second to take all three points.
Herrera has his work cut out for him, but with Atlante playing Friday nights at the Estadio Azteca, it’ll be an entertainment option in the capital that plenty take advantage of if the team can play even decent soccer.
Big changes after top teams underperformed
Club América’s Andre Jardine era is over. Forever in the club’s history after back-to-back-to-back Liga MX wins, the recent struggles were too much. The Brazilian boss is off to Dubai, while Guillermo Almada ushers in a new era.
Except, so far it’s meet the new team, same as the old one. América has been linked with a few players but may be worse-off on the field at the start of the season. Alejandro Zendejas had his knee cleaned out after the World Cup, meaning Las Aguilas once again are dealing with an attack at less than full-strength.
Tigres also lost firepower, with forward Andre-Pierre Gignac not returning and Angel Correa heading for River Plate - though they lose him at a profit on what they spent to get him from Atlético Madrid last summer. Some of those funds are going toward the acquisition of Alan Franco - though not the Ecuadorian one as I said in the video up there. That’s my bad.
Tigres fell to Tijuana in the first week with a red card near the end of the first half and two Xolos goals after the 90th minute.
As I said, Liga MX is back.
Rayados are ramping up
There is a new braintrust in Monterrey, as former Chivas manager Matias Almeyda arrives to lead the club on the field while ex-Mexico sporting director Dennis te Kloese is taking over as Monterrey’s sporting president.
Te Kloese, who also had a stint with the LA Galaxy, is continuing at least one Rayados tradition: Looking to the U.S. for attacking talent. Diego Rossi has arrived from the Columbus Crew, while the reports are that Monterrey could also be the destination for Hugo Cuypers after Robert Lewandowski’s arrival made the MLS Golden Boot leader less critical.1
Rayados also signed Orbelin Pineda, bringing the Mexico international back after a spell in Greece where he played for … Matias Almeyda!
Cesar Garza is back from loan at Pumas, and while more moves will be needed after Sergio Canales’ departure and a stretch in which the team had no real direction, enthusiasm is high in Monterrey that Almeyda will finally be the coach to put it all together.
How will Chivas look at full strength?
Chivas played the best soccer in Liga MX for the first four months of 2026. Then, Gabriel Milito’s squad sent half a dozen players to the Mexico national team, and Chivas struggled to match their level - even with some heroics from academy prospects like Santiago Sandoval.
Now, the team not only has its national team players back - so far holding onto forward Armand “Hormiga” Gonzalez attacking midfielder Brian Gutierrez amidst interest from abroad - but also has strengthened.
The club, which fields only players of Mexican heritage, has added winger Jordan Carrillo, a Santos product who had an excellent Clausura with Pumas, and Kevin Castañeda, an attacking midfielder who hopes to join Tijuana’s long line of late bloomers like Luis Chavez who have excelled after leaving the club nearing their prime.
It will be fascinating to watch what Milito can do with his best players present the entire year.
I trust both Tim Hotze and Felipe Gallindo, whose reporting is that the player and club have terms that would work but the Fire and Rayados still would need to come to an agreement.