The 2025 Apertura season kicks off Friday with three games to be played. Reigning champions Toluca will kick off their campaign Saturday night with the dream to become bicampeones. That dream can come true, or because there’s always some kind of chaos in Liga MX, they can have a bad season and not even make the liguilla. Here at FMF State of Mind, we would like to know your predictions for the upcoming season. Will Toluca repeat? Will Club América take back their crown or will a black horse take it all?
Tell us your productions!
Champions: [Insert Team]
Top of the table: [Insert Team]
Surprise: [Insert Team]
Dissapointment: [Insert Team]
Golden Boot: [Insert Player]
Since you’re giving yours, here’s ours.
Melissa
Champions: Toluca
I believe Toluca will be able to repeat as the team will be highly influenced to keep the trophy in their house. They will hit some speed bumps along the way as they won’t finish at the top of the table like last season but they will pick things up in the liguilla. In the past they had fumbled in the postseason but after last year those days look to be gone and the Diablos Rojos will do everything they can to be named bicampeones.
Top of the table: Cruz Azul
They may not have won the league, but they did win the Champions Cup and that will be motivation enough to win the top of the table. They will also have Nicolas Larcamon as their new head coach and Larcamon has the potential to make a big splash with a ‘grande.’ I don’t believe it will be enough for the league trophy but it will be for them to end up at the top of the table.
Surprise: Tijuana
For the past couple of seasons Xolos has had difficult seasons but things might change this time around. I believe things will be different this season because of Gilberto Mora. After he won the Gold Cup he will return to the team a new player which will, hopefully, influence the rest of the team. All eyes will also be on Tijuana to perform since they have a generational talent on the team and that will make the players and the front office step things up this season.
Disappointment: Club América
Yes, I know many people will not agree with this but it’s a possibility. Last season they did not play well and were a shell of their former selves. It is not saying they will be at the bottom of the table but they will struggle this season. The players who were critical in helping them accumulate their six trophies are no longer available and the club has yet to find suitable replacements.
Golden Boot: Henry Martin
While I believe that América will have a disappointing season, I think the opposite will be said for the Mexican striker. Martin is more than eager to get back into action after he was sidelined the majority of the last season due to injury. He also has a lot to prove to Mexican National Team head coach Javier Aguirre as the World Cup is next year and Martin still has a chance to prove why he should be called-up to the tournament.
RhzUnam80
Champions: Monterrey
Monterrey comes into the tournament with a new coach in Domenec Torrent but with a high quality squad that was the biggest disappointment in the Clausura 2025. With Torrent they had a great Club World Cup where they made the Round of 16 before giving a fight and getting eliminated by Borussia Dortmund. Thus with Torrent, they should have a good tournament and in the Liguilla, they might finally be able to overcome the limitations under previous coach Demichelis, and give a repeat of the Club World Cup
Top of the table: Cruz Azul
If there is a solid squad now in Mexico, it is Cruz Azul. With rumors that they might be on the lookout of an even better player with Luka Jovic, the CONCACAF Champions Cup winners will be heavy favorites for the title. New coach Nicolas Larcamon has a not great past in the Liguilla, so they probably won’t be champions but the top of the table looks like a realistic goal for them.
Surprise: Chivas
After failing to make the Liguilla in the Clausura 2025, Chivas is coming in as a team in turmoil but the signing of new coach Gabriel Milito as well as some other key acquisitions like Bryan Gonzalez and Efrain Alvarez have the team poised to make an impact. They don’t look good enough to be a contender but they look as a dark horse candidate.
Disappointment: Tigres
One of the normal contenders and one of the best squads in Mexico is my pick for this category. While Tigres made a huge signing in World Champion, Joaquin Correa, the rest of the team is more than suspect. Andre Pierre Gignac is expected to lead the team even though he keeps losing speed and getting injured, a result of his older age. Newcomer coach Guido Pizarro paid for his lack of experience in the Clausura and really doesn’t look ready for this squad that has a lot of youngsters that have failed to make that last step and a couple of veterans that look like they took too many steps. It just doesn’t look as ready as a squad.
Golden Boot: Jhonder Cadiz
With Luka Jovic arrival to Cruz Azul being in doubt and with players like Paulinho in Toluca and Berterame having a lot of competition in their team to see who scores, Cadiz seems to be the prime choice as he hopes to take the place of Rondon. With an offensive Pachuca that seems to have few options up top besides Cadiz, he seems poised as the better candidate to get that scoring title.
So, here’s our predictions and we will see at the end of the season how correct we were or if we were totally off. Enjoy the season and we’ll see you soon!
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