The Liga MX table is a liar. Well, maybe not a total liar, but it’s definitely a master of deception. If you spend any time looking at the posiciones del futbol mexicano, you know exactly what I mean. You see a team sitting in 1st place with a ten-point lead, looking like world-beaters, only to watch them crash out in the first round of the Liguilla to an 8th-seed that barely crawled into the postseason. That’s the beauty—and the absolute madness—of how soccer works in Mexico.
It’s chaotic.
In most European leagues, the table is the law. You finish first, you get the trophy. Simple. But in Mexico, the regular season is basically just a high-stakes seating chart for a party where everyone is invited to throw punches. Whether we are talking about the Apertura or the Clausura, the way the standings evolve over seventeen rounds is a wild ride of altitude, travel fatigue, and the weird psychological shift that happens when teams realize they just need to finish 10th to have a shot at the title.
How the posiciones del futbol mexicano actually function
Let's get into the mechanics because it's not just about winning games. The Liga MX uses a system that prioritizes "Puntos" (Points), followed by "Diferencia de Goles" (Goal Difference). If teams are still tied, we look at "Goles Anotados" (Goals Scored). Honestly, it gets even more granular after that, looking at head-to-head results and even Fair Play points, though it rarely comes down to yellow cards deciding a playoff spot.
The real tension starts around Week 14. That’s when fans stop looking at the top of the table and start obsessing over the "Play-In" zone.
Remember when the league used to just take the top eight? Those days are gone. Now, we have this hybrid system where the top six go straight to the Quarterfinals, and the teams from 7th to 10th battle it out in a mini-tournament. It’s stressful. It’s also why you’ll see a team like Santos Laguna or Querétaro suddenly play like their lives depend on it in November, even if they've been terrible since August. The math allows for late-season resurrections that simply don't happen in the Premier League or La Liga.
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The Play-In trap
The "Play-In" format is controversial. Critics say it rewards mediocrity. Supporters say it keeps the posiciones del futbol mexicano relevant until the final whistle of the final day. Think about it: a team can lose half their games, sit in 10th place, and still technically be "in the hunt."
From a tactical standpoint, this changes how coaches manage the table. If you're André Jardine at América or Martín Anselmi at Cruz Azul, you aren't just trying to be #1; you're trying to manage player fatigue so you don't peak too early. We've seen "Superlíderes" (teams that finish 1st) fall victim to the "Curse of the Leader" so many times it's basically a meme at this point. Being top of the standings is great for bragging rights, but it puts a massive target on your back.
Why the "Cociente" still matters (Even without relegation)
Wait, isn't relegation gone? Technically, yes. But the "Tabla de Cocientes" still haunts the bottom-dwellers of the Mexican standings.
Even though nobody is getting "dropped" to the Liga de Expansión right now, the teams at the bottom of the percentage table have to pay massive fines. We are talking millions of dollars. When you look at the posiciones del futbol mexicano, you have to look at two tables at once: the current season standings and the three-year cumulative percentage table.
Teams like Tijuana, Mazatlán, or FC Juárez are constantly fighting this invisible ghost. Even if they have a decent season and sit in 7th place, they might still be dead last in the Cociente, meaning their owners are staring down a multi-million dollar penalty. It affects how they spend money on transfers. It affects whether a manager gets fired after three losses. It’s a financial shadow that looms over every single goal.
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The altitude and travel factor
You can't talk about the standings without talking about geography. Playing at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City or the Nemesio Díez in Toluca is a physical nightmare for teams coming from the coast.
Toluca, for example, sits at about 2,600 meters above sea level. When a team like Mazatlán (sea level) travels there, they usually gas out by the 60th minute. This creates a massive "home field" bias in the posiciones del futbol mexicano. Look at the historical data; teams based in high-altitude cities almost always have better home records than their sea-level counterparts. It’s a built-in advantage that doesn't show up in the stat sheet but explains why certain teams stay glued to the top of the table every year.
The Big Four and the "Nouveau Riche"
Traditionally, the table was dominated by the "Cuatro Grandes": América, Chivas, Cruz Azul, and Pumas. But the last decade has seen a massive shift. The "Regios"—Tigres and Monterrey—have used their massive corporate backing (CEMEX and FEMSA) to basically buy permanent residency at the top of the standings.
- Club América: Always expected to be top 3. Anything less is a national crisis.
- Chivas: Limited by their "Mexican-only" player policy, which makes their position in the table a direct reflection of the current state of Mexican youth development.
- Tigres/Rayados: Their depth is so insane that their "B team" could probably make the Liguilla.
- Pachuca: The outliers. They don't spend like the Regios, but their academy is so good they consistently punch above their weight.
If you’re betting on the posiciones del futbol mexicano, never count out the northern teams. Their spending power allows them to survive injuries that would sink a smaller club like Puebla or Necaxa. When Gignac or Canales gets hurt, they have a multimillion-dollar international waiting on the bench. Most other teams just have a prayer.
The "Liguilla" effect on regular season intensity
Is the regular season boring? Some fans think so because the stakes aren't "final" until the playoffs. However, the fight for the top four is actually quite intense. Finishing in the top four gives you the "Advantage of Position."
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In the Liguilla, if the aggregate score is tied after two legs (say, 2-2), the team that finished higher in the regular season posiciones del futbol mexicano advances. No extra time, no penalties—just a reward for being better over the 17-week grind. This makes every single goal in Week 3 matter eventually. It's a tiebreaker that forces teams to actually care about their goal difference.
What most people get wrong about the standings
People often assume the team in 1st place is the "best" team. In Mexico, that's rarely true. The "best" team is usually the one that is the most "enrachado" (on a hot streak) heading into May or December.
Look at the 2023-2024 cycles. We saw teams dominate the regular season only to lose their rhythm during the FIFA international breaks or the Leagues Cup hiatus. The standings are a measure of consistency, but the title is a measure of momentum. If you want to understand the posiciones del futbol mexicano, you have to look at the "Last 5 Games" column more than the total points column.
Actionable insights for following the league
If you're trying to keep track of where your team stands or how the season is shaking out, don't just look at the raw numbers. Follow these steps to get a real sense of the landscape:
- Check the "Home/Away" Split: Some teams are "Tigres at home, Kittens away." If a team has a high position but a terrible away record, they will likely fail in the playoffs.
- Monitor the FIFA Dates: Watch how the table shifts after international breaks. Teams with lots of national team players (like América or Monterrey) often suffer a "hangover" that drops them a few spots in the standings.
- The 25-Point Rule: Historically, 25 points is the "magic number" to guarantee a spot in the postseason (either direct or Play-In). If your team hits 25, you can breathe. If they are at 18 with three games left, start worrying.
- Watch the Cociente Fines: If you follow a "smaller" club, check their 3-year average. If they are in the bottom three of the Cociente, they won't be spending on big transfers in the winter, which means their table position will likely drop next season.
- Ignore the first 4 weeks: The first month of Liga MX is notoriously slow as players return from vacation or mid-year tournaments. The "real" table doesn't start to take shape until Week 6 or 7.
The posiciones del futbol mexicano are a living, breathing entity that changes based on altitude, money, and the weird "Play-In" rules that keep everyone on their toes. It’s not just a list; it’s a snapshot of a league that prizes drama over almost everything else. Keep an eye on the goal difference, watch the altitude factors, and never—ever—assume the team in 1st is safe. This is Mexico. Anything can happen before the final whistle.