Honestly, if you tried to predict the Mexican top flight at the start of the year, you probably failed. Miserably. Looking back at the tabla liga mexicana 2024, it’s a chaotic map of a league that doesn't care about your expectations. We saw a historical "Three-Peat" that felt impossible and a Cruz Azul side that played some of the most dominant football in years, only to hit a wall when the lights were brightest.
Mexican football is weird. It’s split into two distinct halves—the Clausura (the first half of the year) and the Apertura (the second half). That means we actually have two separate "tables" to talk about. If you're just glancing at a final score, you're missing the real story of how Club América basically built a fortress around the trophy while everyone else was busy fighting for scraps.
The Clausura 2024 Dominance: América's Iron Grip
The first half of 2024 was all about André Jardine and his "Bicampeonato" mission. América finished the regular season at the very top. 35 points. They only lost twice in 17 games. Think about that for a second. In a league as volatile as Liga MX, staying that consistent is borderline insane.
But the tabla liga mexicana 2024 for the Clausura wasn't just about the Yellow and Blue. Cruz Azul was right on their heels with 33 points, a massive turnaround for a team that had been struggling for identity. Then you had Toluca and Monterrey, both sitting comfortably at 32.
The playoffs, however, were where the "table" mattered and then suddenly didn't.
América didn't just win; they survived. They grinded out a 1-1 draw against Pachuca in the quarters and advanced on "position in the table"—the classic Liga MX rule that rewards regular-season excellence. They eventually took down Cruz Azul in a final that was more about nerves than beautiful football. Henry Martín’s penalty in the second leg at the Estadio Azteca sealed the 15th title.
It was a statement. The table said they were the best, and the Liguilla proved it.
Apertura 2024: The Cruz Azul Redemption (Sorta)
When the second half of the year kicked off, the tabla liga mexicana 2024 shifted dramatically. Cruz Azul under Martín Anselmi became a juggernaut. They didn't just lead; they obliterated the competition.
👉 See also: Pete Rose Montreal Expos: What Really Happened During That Weird Summer in Canada
- Cruz Azul: 42 points (a near-record pace)
- Toluca: 35 points
- Tigres UANL: 34 points
- Pumas UNAM: 31 points
- Monterrey: 31 points
Cruz Azul's goal difference was +27. They were scoring for fun and barely conceding. Watching them was like watching a different sport compared to the rest of the league. But as any Liga MX veteran will tell you, a great regular season is just a fancy invitation to a heartbreak party.
América, meanwhile, had a "hangover" season. They finished 8th. They had to go through the Play-In tournament—a chaotic little mini-bracket for teams in the 7-10 spots. Most people thought they were done. "They're tired," the pundits said. "The dynasty is over."
Wrong.
América survived the Play-In, navigated the bracket, and somehow found themselves in the final against Monterrey. While Cruz Azul—the team that looked invincible—got tripped up earlier in the knockout stages, América did the unthinkable. They won the Apertura 2024, securing their third consecutive title (the "Tricampeonato"). It hadn't been done in the short-tournament era. Ever.
The Statistical Leaders Who Flew Under the Radar
Stats don't always tell the whole story, but in 2024, a few names became impossible to ignore. If you look at the scoring charts across the whole year, Paulinho from Toluca was a revelation. The guy arrived and basically decided he owned the penalty area. He bagged 13 goals in the Apertura alone.
Then you have the usual suspects. Sergio Canales at Monterrey remains the most elegant player in the league. When he’s on, Monterrey looks like a European side. When he’s off, they look like they’re stuck in second gear.
The defensive side of the tabla liga mexicana 2024 is where Pumas actually surprised people. They weren't always flashy, but they were incredibly tough to break down, finishing with one of the best defensive records in the Apertura (only 13 goals conceded).
Why the Play-In Changed the Math
The introduction of the Play-In has fundamentally changed how we read the table. Before, finishing 8th meant you were the "underdog" in the quarterfinals. Now, if you're 8th, you're fighting for your life before the real tournament even begins.
In 2024, this favored the big clubs with deep benches. Teams like Tijuana or Atlético San Luis would have great runs and finish high in the standings, but the extra games of the Play-In and the sheer intensity of the Liguilla usually favored the "Big Four" (América, Chivas, Cruz Azul, Pumas) and the "Rich Two" (Tigres, Monterrey).
Reality Check: What the Standings Don't Show
You can't just look at points and know what happened to Chivas. Guadalajara is always the biggest "what if" in Mexican soccer. They hover around 6th or 9th, show flashes of brilliance, and then lose a key game because of a defensive lapse or an injury to someone like Roberto Alvarado. Their 2024 was a roller coaster that ended in the middle of the pack—exactly where the table said they'd be, but far below where their fans expected.
Also, spare a thought for Santos Laguna and Querétaro. They spent most of 2024 at the very bottom of the tabla liga mexicana 2024. For clubs with that much history, seeing them struggle to hit double-digit points in a season is a grim reminder of how fast things can go south when management loses the plot.
Actionable Insights for the Next Season
If you're following the league or looking at these standings to understand what’s coming next, keep these three things in mind:
- The "Home Field" Trap: Don't overvalue a high seed. As we saw with Cruz Azul, being #1 is great for your ego, but in Liga MX, momentum in November/December is worth more than points in August.
- Depth is King: América won because they could rotate. With the Leagues Cup and a congested schedule, teams that don't have 18 starting-caliber players will always fade by the time the playoffs hit.
- Watch the Transfers: The league is getting richer. Keep an eye on Toluca and Tigres; they are spending aggressively to break the América monopoly.
The 2024 season proved that the regular-season table is a suggestion, not a destiny. América finished 1st in the spring and 8th in the winter, yet they walked away with both trophies. That’s the beauty—and the absolute madness—of Mexican football.
👉 See also: The Boston Celtics: What Team Has the Most NBA Championships Right Now
To get the most out of following these rankings, you should focus on the "Form" column in the final five weeks of the season. That is almost always a better indicator of the eventual champion than the total points accumulated in the first ten matchdays. Keep your eyes on the goal difference too; teams with a +10 or higher rarely fail to make a deep run, regardless of their seed.