It is now July and that means the return of Liga MX is upon us! There are now two weeks until the 2026 Apertura kicks off. There has been some debate regarding the start date since many believe the league should wait until after the World Cup is over. Whether you are or are not in favor of the kickoff date, Liga MX is returning and that should be exciting. Since most of the attention has been on the World Cup, rightfully so, many club and league news have been pushed to the side. In order to catch
you up here’s a summary of the news you may have missed since June 11th.
*NOTE: This article was published with information that was available at the time. This means that this article might not have all the correct information as clubs may announce new signings and deals AFTER publication.*
Liga BBVA MX:
Traditionally, Liga MX kicks off the season on Fridays but the AP26 will begin on Thursday July 16th instead. Matchday One will run through Friday July 17th and Saturday July 18th. The game programmed to start off the season will be between Necaxa and Atlante, the Mexico City team who will make their return to the first division after a 12-year absence. The regular season will conclude the week of November 20th with the liguilla, or the playoffs, set to kick off a week later. The Grand Finale will take place from mid to late December, dates that have created debates among the media and fanbase.
- Leagues Cup 2026
While this competition is hated amongst Mexican media and fans alike, it is here to stay. Instead of focusing on making their return to Copa Libertadores where Mexican Soccer can properly develop, the league and federation value money over development, so get used to the Leagues Cup Mexican fans. Liga MX will take an eleven-day break in the beginning of August during the group stage where only FOUR games will be played on Mexican soil.
- Concacaf Champions Cup
Before the start of the World Cup, Tigres and Toluca faced off for the CCC trophy. Once again the final consisted of two Liga MX clubs in a tournament that has been dominated by Mexico. Just when it looked like Toluca was going to win it all in regulation, Tigres came in and leveled the game before ultimately losing in penalties. Toluca won their third Concacaf Champions Cup trophy.
Atlante FC:
- New head coach signed
Rumors had been swirling as to who would lead Atlante in their first season back in the first division and that role has been assigned. Controversial figure Miguel Herrera will take over the team after years of absence in the coaching world.
- Big changes in the roster
When a team makes its way to the first division it’s no surprise that there would be roster changes, but no one expected as many as these. Atlante released 15 of their first team players but have only signed two players: Oscar Jimenez and Diogo Bagüi. Hopefully the club makes more additions soon as the season is only two weeks away.
- Split with sponsorships
Many changes have come to Atlante after they made their way back to the first division but nothing is as surprising as breaking all their ties with their sponsors during their time in Liga Expansion. Yes, Atlante has decided to break away from their sponsors after years of loyalty from those companies. Now Atlante is looking for new sponsors though companies should be warned, if Atlante was willing to ditch their original sponsors how do these new sponsors know the same thing won’t happen to them?
Atlas:
- Orlegi Sports sells club to Grupo PRODI
Earlier this year, Orlegi Sports announced that Atlas was going to be put on the market after the league had decided to push hard against multi-ownership. Orlegi found a new owner in Grupo PRODI, a company that specializes in the design and construction of public infrastructure projects. Only time will tell if this new owner will actually invest in the club or if it will be yet another frustrating cycle for the team.
Atlético San Luis:
- Calendar release
Clubs typically release the season calendar in a simple format but San Luis decided to put some joy in their release. The social media team put together a cartoon revealing every matchday opponent referring to the opponents as eggs. It’s a light-hearted video that is a must-see.
- Youngster Ronaldo Nájera has retuned
Nájera was sent on loan to Spain in order to facilitate his development. The youngster played with Atlético de Madrid’s reserve team but he has made his way back to Mexico where he will be able to show just how much he learned while playing in Spain.
Club América:
- Player exits
Jonathan dos Santos has made his decision to leave Club América official. The player was pivotal during the tricampeon days but as is life, all good things must come to an end.
- Changes at the helm
The time has come for André Jardine to leave the nest. After three years in which he became the club’s most successful coach, the Brazilian made the decision to part ways with the club. Rumors state it was due to the club and coach not seeing eye to eye, but Jardine did not hint towards those motives as he had nothing but kind words to say about the club. Now Guillermo Almada will take over as head coach but he has big shoes to fill and the expectations are high.
Guadalajara:
- New players arrive
The summer break did not last long for Gabriel Milito and Chivas who got straight to work. They made two new signings in youngsters Kevin Castañeda and Jordan Carrillo. Carrillo was a surprise seeing as many believed he was going to sign for Pumas but the Mexican City team refused to buy the player as they attempted to negotiate his release clause. A bad mistake on their part but great for Chivas who have strengthened their team.
- Players exit
Yael Padilla and Erick Sanchez have left the club. Many believed both players were going to be important for the club but neither were in Milito’s plans. Unfortunately that happens but it’s still sad to see two promising players leave the institution.
Cruz Azul:
- La Decima!
After winning their 10th Liga MX title, Cruz Azul went on a deserved summer break. They returned to preseason on June 22nd and will look towards defending their title.
Monterrey:
- New head coach in town
After a very disappointing season that should have ended with a trophy, the Rayados are more than happy to put the season behind them and start anew. Matias Almeyda was named as the new head coach and the pressure is on for the Argentinian to get the team back to its glory days. The question is whether the club will actually let him work and build from the bottom or if they will keep him on a tight rope. If the latter is the case, then Monterrey will continue to under perform if the club and fans don’t realize that coaches need time to work. Only time will tell.
Pachuca:
- New coaching change
Esteban Solari is no longer Pachuca’s head coach after the club and Solari failed to reach a contract agreement. It was a big disappointment for fans who believed Solari was the change the Tuzos needed. The search for a new head coach did not take long as Benjamin Mora was announced as the new head coach shortly after.
León:
- Preseason has begun
Soon after the Clausura ended León began their preseason journey. Unfortunately, apart from the calendar release, there has not been any other news. This makes sense as to why many fans are upset with the club who looks like they will go into another lackluster season.
Necaxa:
- New signings
So far the club has only made three signings. Diego Ochoa, Christopher Andrade and Pedro Pedraza have recently signed with Necaxa.
Puebla:
- Many rotations among the roster
10 players were released during the off-season. This heavy list shouldn’t be a surprise since this club is known to have a rotating roster every season. Thankfully the front office has already replaced the exiting players but it doesn’t help build team chemistry when players are always rotating.
- New head coach
Gerardo Ortiz has been confirmed as Puebla’s new head coach. Maybe Ortiz will be the coach to be able to get this team moving forward but he will have his work cut out for him.
Santos Laguna:
- Joshua Mancha’s return
The youngster spent some time abroad as he participated in Real Sporting de Gijon’s player development program. Now he has returned and hopefully for good with a spot in the starting lineup
- Jordan Carrillo exits
After a loan spell to Pumas, Santos then sold Carrillo to Chivas for reportedly $4-$5 million dollars which was less than what they were asking from Pumas.
- New head coach
Renato Paiva makes his way back to Liga MX after a few years away. This will be his third stint after he coached León in 2022 and Toluca in 2023.
Club Tijuana:
- Youngster is here to stay
Before leaving for the World Cup, Gilberto Mora signed a contract extension. In his contract the youngster was given the No 10 jersey and a release clause of $20 million dollars. While some debated this high price, it is just the right asking price for a young player of his talent who has so far surpassed his expectations in the World Cup. If any youngster deserves it, it’s Mora and there’s no doubt that multiple teams will be asking about him after the summer tournament.
Toluca:
- Concacaf Champions Cup winners vs Tigres on penalties
Toluca faced fellow Liga MX team Tigre’s in the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup. Once again the final was between two Mexican clubs as Liga MX has dominated this tournament. Toluca defeated Tigres on penalties to claim their third CCC title.
- Marcel Ruiz update
After electing to defer surgery in hopes of making it to the World Cup, the youngster finally had surgery to repair his knee. The timeline for his return is unknown so far but it looks like he may miss the entire season.
- Exits and new signings
Sebastian Cordova and the club parted ways. His departure left room for the signing of Erick Gutierrez and Victor Guzman.
Juárez:
- Exits and signings
There have been a handful of exits and signings for the Bravos. Rodolfo Pizarro has been the only player that has left with Juan Sigala, Said Godínez and Lucas Romero signing on.
Pumas UNAM:
- Efrain Juárez leaves as DT
Unfortunately for Pumas fans Efrain Juárez has left Mexico City after getting the club to the Clausura final. It was a surprise but hopefully Esteban Solari can keep the team on the right track after he was recently appointed.
- Jordan Carrillo departs
The youngster had performed well during his loan spell so it was a big surprise to see the front office not do everything in their power to keep him. Instead they decided to negotiate his release clause with Santos but the club wouldn’t budge so Pumas let him go.
Quéretaro:
- A re-signing
Goalkeeper Jose Hernandez renewed his contract with the Gallos. Apart from this, no other news has been announced.
Tigres UANL:
- Concacaf Champions Cup
Tigres faced Toluca in the final of the Concacaf Champions Cup where they ultimately fell to the Diablos in penalties.
- Marcelo Flores injury
Not long after subbing on during the CCC final Flores suffered a knee injury that was later confirmed as an ACL tear. This injury forced the youngster to withdraw from Canada’s World Cup roster.
Well, that’s all the action that has happened since June 11th. Only two more weeks until the Apertura 2026 kicks off!
