Toluca defeated Tigres by a 2-1 score and then would win the longest Penalty Kick shootout in a Liga MX final by a 9-8 score to win the 2025 Apertura title. Toluca became the 5th team to win back to back Liga MX title since the short season change in 1996. It was an incredible match that would live in history because of the Penalty Kick shootout. Tigres gave a great performance but it wasn’t enough as Toluca wins the title that now has them tied with Chivas in 2nd place for most league titles won.
The 1st half started with Tigres once again coming out from the start with Andre Pierre Gignac. Meanwhile for Toluca, Alexis Vega wasn’t fit enough to get the start but was able to be at the bench. Off a free kick, a cross into the area was just missed by Paulinho. Off a free kick, Gignac got off a right footed shot that went thru the wall and was deflected by Fernando Gorriaran past Toluca’s goalkeeper, Luis Garcia to score and give Tigres the early 1-0 lead. The goal gave Tigres a 2-0 lead in the aggregate and complicated things for the home side. From outside the area, Jesus Ricardo Angulo got off a left footed shot that forced Tigres’ goalkeeper, Nahuel Guzman, to make a great save. From outside the area, Franco Romero got off a great right footed shot that forced Guzman to make another save. Toluca started to gain control of the possession as Tigres sat back as the match was also starting to get very physical. A cross into the area was just missed by Paulinho when he tried to volley it from close range in a bad miss. A left footed shot from Marcel Ruiz from outside the area was easily saved by Guzman. After getting the ball in the area, Nicolas Castro got a close range header that went straight to Guzman in another bad miss. From outside the area, Helinho made a great move and got off a wonderful left footed shot that went past Guzman, hit the post and went in to score and tie the match at 1-1. It was a great strike that placed Toluca right back in the match and in the run for the title. After getting the ball in the area, Helinho got off a right footed shot that was deflected wide. The halftime whistle blew as the players started fighting in small scuffles in a very physical game.
The 2nd half started with Tigres subbing out Marco Farfan for Javier Aquino. After getting the ball in the area, Paulinho got off a right footed shot that went wide. A great cross into the area from Helinho would find a wide open Paulinho, who got off a left footed volley past Guzman to score and give Toluca the 2-1 lead. With the goal, there would be extra time if the score remained. From outside the area, Ruiz got off a great right footed shot that would force a great save from Guzman. Tigres subbed out Andre Pierre Gignac for Nicolas Ibañez. Immediately Ibañez would get off a right footed shot that was deflected just wide. Off a free kick, Juan Brunetta got off a right footed shot that would force a great save from Garcia. In the ensuing corner kick, the cross into the area was deflected off Romulo Zwarg and then would hit the post after bouncing off a Toluca defender. Toluca subbed out Helinho for Juan Pablo Dominguez. Off a corner kick, the cross was deflected into the area by Ruiz and it would reach Everardo Lopez, who from close range and wide open, would sent his volley wide in a terrible open net miss. Toluca subbed out Jesus Ricardo Angulo for Alexis Vega, making his return after an injury kept him out for weeks. Castro got the ball in the area but his left footed shot went right to Guzman. Tigres subbed out Juan Brunetta for Ozziel Herrera. Toluca subbed out Paulinho for Diego Barbosa. The final whistle blew and because of the score, we are going to extra time.
The 1st half of extra time started with Toluca subbing out Nicolas Castro for Bruno Mendez. A great run from Dominguez ended with him giving a pass to a wide open Santiago Simon, who failed to control the ball and get off a shot. Dominguez would get off a right footed shot from outside the area that was saved by Guzman. After Guzman went into well up field to clear a ball that would end up in Toluca’s possession, Federico Pereira got off a right footed shot from way outside the area that forced Guzman to scramble and would save the ball almost on his line. Ruiz got off a right footed shot from outside the area that Guzman would easily save. The whistle blew as they went to the last 15 minutes of play.
The 2nd half of extra time started with Tigres subbing out Diego Lainez and Romulo Zwarg for Uriel Antuna and Juan Pablo Vigon. In the first play of the half, Ibañez got the ball in the area and got off a right footed volley that would go just wide. A great cross from Vega into the area was headed by Ruiz from close range but right at Guzman. Toluca subbed out Marcel Ruiz and Everardo Lopez for Fernando Arce Jr and Oswaldo Virgen. Off a corner kick, the ball fell for Jesus Gallardo but his left footed shot was deflected wide. The final whistle blew and the 2025 Apertura Final would be decided in a Penalty Shootout.
The PK shootout stared with Nicolas Ibañez taking the first PK and sending his shot into the stands in a bad miss. Alexis Vega would take the first for Toluca and he would hit his right footed shot past Guzman to give Toluca the 1-o lead. Fernando Gorriaran would step up next and get off a right footed shot thru Garcia’s arm and into the net to tie it at 1-1. Santiago Simon went up and got off a right footed shot just under Guzman to score and place the score at 2-1. Ozziel Herrera would be up next and get off a strong right footed shot past Garcia to tie things at 2-2. Federico Pereira stepped up and sent his right footed shot into the stands to miss for Toluca. Uriel Antuna would come up and get off a great right footed shot past Garcia to score and give Tigres the 3-2 lead. Jesus Gallardo would get off a great left footed shot to score and tie the score at 3-3. Angel Correa would be the next PK takcer and he got off a right footed shot past Garcia to give Tigres the 4-3 lead. Franco Romero would be up next and he got off a right footed shot that was just out of reach of Guzman to tie it at 4-4 and sends up to sudden death. Juan Pablo Vigon would get off a strong shot past Garcia to score and give Tigres the 5-4 lead. Youngster Oswaldo Virgen went next and did great by getting off a thunderous right footed shot past Guzman to tie it at 5-5. Juan Jose Sanchez Purata would be up and the defender got off a great shot past Garcia and give the visiting side the 6-5 lead. Fernando Arce Jr would get off a low shot that Guzman would kick but the kick wasn’t strong enough and it would go in to tie the shootout at 6-6. Jesus Garza would slip as he took his shot but it still would go thru Garcia and into the net to give Tigres the 7-6 lead. Bruno Mendez would step up and get off a great right footed shot past Guzman to score and tie things at 7-7. Javier Aquino would strike a great PK that would go past Garcia and into the net to give Tigres the 8-7 lead. Diego Barbosa would be up next and his shot would got past Guzman and the match was tied once again, this time at 8-8. Joaquim Pereira would step up but his right shot would hit the post as Toluca now only had to convert to win the shootout. Juan Pablo Dominguez stepped up for the possible winning PK but he sent his shot into the stands in a bad miss. Goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman would take his turn for a PK and his right footed shot was blocked by Garcia’s legs. Luis Garcia would then step up to take the PK after his save but like Guzman, his shot was blocked by the goalkeeper’s leg. Every player had taken his PK and instead of continuing with the same order, Tigres changed things and had Angel Correa take the next PK but his good right footed shot was saved by Garcia. Alexis Vega would then come up and he would fool Guzman by placing his right footed shot into the other corner and scoring the PK that placed things at 9-8 and gave Toluca the Liga MX title.
Toluca became back to back champions after prevailing in a great Liga MX final. After a lackluster first leg, both teams gave a great performance in the return leg as Toluca became once again Liga MX champions. The team that had been Superlider in the regular season would take advantage of the home field where they gave an inspired performance against a Tigres team that gave a great match even when their history at higher altitude (Toluca is the highest venue in Liga MX) has not been the best. Still Toluca was the better team on Sunday night and lived up to their fan’s expectation as they lifted the trophy. They will try to equal America’s recent three peat performance which will be tough in a Clausura 2026 that will take a backseat to the World Cup and the Mexican National team’s campaign in that tournament. Still for now Toluca sits at top of the Liga MX throne as they are clearly the best club in Mexico at the moment and they have the titles to prove it.
