Mexican football is kind of a fever dream. One week you’re looking at the Apertura champion hoisting a trophy, and literally a month later, everyone is back at zero, sweating out the humidity in Tijuana or the altitude in Toluca. Right now, the mexican football league table for the Clausura 2026 is starting to take a very specific, very weird shape.
We are only two matchdays into the new year. It’s early. Yet, if you look at the standings, you can already see the cracks in the "big" teams and the sudden, frantic surge of the underdogs.
The current state of play
Honestly, Chivas and Toluca are the ones laughing right now. After the matches on January 14, 2026, Guadalajara (Chivas) and Toluca sit at the top with a perfect six points from two games. Chivas looks disciplined. They went into the Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez and ground out a 1-0 win against Juárez, which isn't easy when the wind is whipping off the border.
Toluca, the reigning Apertura 2025 champions, aren't showing any signs of a "champion's hangover." They just dismantled Santos Laguna 3-1. Helinho is playing like he's possessed, and the Nemesio Díez stadium remains a fortress where visiting teams basically go to run out of oxygen.
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Then you've got the middle of the pack, which is a total mess. Pumas UNAM and Club Tijuana (Xolos) both have four points. Pumas pulled off a massive 1-0 win at the Volcán against Tigres, which, let's be real, nobody saw coming. Winning in Monterrey against Tigres is usually a death sentence for most clubs, but Pumas held on.
Mexican football league table: The early 2026 leaders
| Club | Points | Goal Difference | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toluca | 6 | +3 | W, W |
| Chivas | 6 | +3 | W, W |
| Pumas | 4 | +1 | D, W |
| Tijuana | 4 | +1 | D, W |
| Atlético de San Luis | 3 | +1 | L, W |
| Cruz Azul | 3 | +1 | L, W |
What happened to Club América?
You’ve probably noticed the glaring absence of the usual suspects at the top. Club América is currently sitting near the bottom with just one point. One.
They looked lost against Atlético de San Luis on Wednesday night. Losing 2-0 at home (well, at the Ciudad de los Deportes while the Azteca is under renovation for the World Cup) is a crisis in Coapa. Pedro scored for San Luis, and América finished the game with ten men after Ramón Juárez saw red. It was ugly. André Jardine has a lot of explaining to do because this squad is too expensive to be sitting in 17th place.
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The "Liguilla" math is already starting
In Mexico, the mexican football league table matters, but the Play-In is what keeps owners awake at night. Remember, only the top six go directly to the Quarter-finals. Teams 7 through 10 have to fight through that stressful Play-In tournament.
Right now, teams like Monterrey and Tigres are underachieving. Monterrey has three points, and Tigres has three. For the two richest squads in the country, that's unacceptable. But that’s the beauty of the Liga MX—it’s built on volatility. You can lose your first three games, go on a five-game tear, and suddenly you’re a title favorite by April.
Key takeaways from the first 180 minutes
- The North is struggling: Usually, Tigres and Monterrey dominate. Right now, they’re middle-of-the-road.
- The Defense wins: Chivas hasn't conceded a single goal yet.
- Surprise packages: Atlético de San Luis showed that their win over América wasn't a fluke; they have a tactical structure that punishes big teams on the counter.
- Relegation (The lack of it): Even though there’s no "real" relegation to the second tier, the "Cociente" (the percentage table) still forces teams like Mazatlán and Santos to pay massive fines if they finish bottom. Santos is currently 18th. That’s a lot of money on the line.
What to watch for next
Keep an eye on the Friday night triple-headers. Mazatlán vs Monterrey on January 16 is going to be a "must-win" for Rayados. If Monterrey loses that, the pressure on their coaching staff will become unbearable.
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The mexican football league table is going to shift violently over the next three weeks because of the "Double Matchday" (Jornada Doble). In Liga MX, momentum is everything. If you aren't checking the scores every Wednesday and Saturday, you're going to miss a team jumping from 14th to 5th in the blink of an eye.
Check the injury reports for Cruz Azul before their next match against Puebla. They’ve looked shaky in transition, and if they don't tighten up the midfield, they’ll be the next "big" team to slide down the standings. Follow the goal difference closely—it’s usually the tiebreaker that decides who gets home-field advantage in the playoffs come May.
Actionable next steps for fans
- Monitor the Play-In line: Focus on the gap between 6th and 7th place; this is where the season is won or lost.
- Track the "Cociente": Watch Santos Laguna's results specifically, as their slump could lead to the league's highest financial penalty.
- Watch the transfer window: It's still open for a few more days, and teams like América are rumored to be hunting for a last-minute center-back.