Check the tabla de posiciones MX right now and it probably looks nothing like it did two weeks ago. That’s the beauty—and the absolute headache—of Mexican football. If you've been following Liga MX for more than a minute, you know the standings aren't just a list; they’re a weekly soap opera where a single goal in the 90th minute can catapult a team from "total crisis" to "Liguilla contender."
Liga MX is weird. It’s glorious. It’s frustrating. Unlike European leagues where the same three giants usually park themselves at the top and refuse to move, the Mexican ladder is built on chaos. One week, Cruz Azul looks like an unstoppable machine, and the next, they’re struggling to hold a draw against a team at the bottom of the pack.
Understanding the Chaos of the Tabla de Posiciones MX
Why do we obsess over these numbers? Because the format of the tournament—split into the Apertura and Clausura—means every point is amplified. You don't have 38 games to fix a bad start. You have 17.
The tabla de posiciones MX determines everything. It decides who gets a direct ticket to the quarter-finals and who has to fight through the "Play-In" tournament. Since the reintroduction of this play-in format (basically a copy of the NBA’s style), the middle of the table has become a literal war zone. Teams finishing 7th through 10th are now basically playing a mini-lottery just to see if they can face the big boys in the Liguilla.
Honestly, the points don't always tell the whole story. You’ll see a team like Tigres sitting comfortably in 3rd place with a goal difference that makes them look like defensive masters, but if you actually watch the games, they might be grinding out ugly 1-0 wins that drive their fans crazy.
The Play-In Trap and the Top Six
The "Magic Six." That's the goal. If you’re in the top six of the tabla de posiciones MX, you get a week off. You get to rest your legs while the teams below you beat each other up in the Play-In.
The first and second seeds almost always have a massive advantage, not just because they play the lowest seeds, but because of the "position in the table" tiebreaker. In the quarter-finals and semi-finals, if the aggregate score is tied, the team that finished higher in the regular season moves on. It’s a massive incentive that makes the final weeks of the season feel like a playoff atmosphere.
Then you have the middle pack. The 7th to 10th spots. This is where the drama lives. Sometimes a team with a negative goal difference sneaks in and goes on a "Cinderella" run. We’ve seen it happen. Remember when Santos Laguna or Pumas came from the bottom half of the table to reach a final? It’s exactly why people keep refreshing the standings.
Why "La Regla de Menores" Changes Everything
You might notice some weird fluctuations in the tabla de posiciones MX that don't seem to match the results on the pitch. That’s because Liga MX reintroduced the "Rule of Minors" (Rule 20/11 or similar iterations).
Teams are required to give a certain amount of minutes to young Mexican players. If they don't hit those minutes by the end of the season, they lose points. Imagine your team fighting for a top spot, winning their games, but then getting hit with a 3-point deduction because the coach didn't play the 19-year-old left-back enough. It’s a controversial rule, but it keeps the table honest and forces clubs like América or Monterrey—who love to spend big on international stars—to look at their youth academies.
The "Cociente" Shadow
Even though there isn't traditional promotion and relegation right now (a move that remains deeply unpopular with most "puro futbol" fans), the tabla de posiciones MX still tracks the Cociente.
This is the "percentage table." It calculates performance over the last three years. Even if a team is having a decent season, they might be stuck at the bottom of the Cociente table. And while they won't get sent down to the second division, they have to pay massive fines. We're talking millions of dollars. For smaller clubs like Mazatlán or FC Juárez, those fines are devastating. It affects their budget for the next year, which affects their roster, which—you guessed it—keeps them at the bottom of the standings. It’s a vicious cycle.
Home Field Advantage: Is it Real?
Looking at the tabla de posiciones MX, you'll often see a huge disparity between "Local" and "Visitante" performance. Playing at the Estadio Azteca or the Volcán in Monterrey isn't just about the crowd; it's about the altitude and the climate.
Toluca is a prime example. The Estadio Nemesio Díez is over 8,000 feet above sea level. When teams from the coast or lower altitudes visit, they usually gump out by the 60th minute. This gives Toluca a "false" boost in the standings sometimes. They might look like league leaders based on their home record, but then they go away to a place like Tijuana—with its artificial turf—and crumble.
If you're betting on games or just trying to predict who will win the title, you have to look past the total points. Look at the home/away split. A team that is 8th in the tabla de posiciones MX but has a strong away record is arguably more dangerous in the Liguilla than a 4th place team that only wins at home.
The "Grandes" vs. The "Nouveau Riche"
The hierarchy of Mexican football is shifting, and the standings prove it every year. For decades, the "Cuatro Grandes" (América, Chivas, Cruz Azul, and Pumas) owned the top spots.
That’s not the case anymore.
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Monterrey and Tigres have more money than almost anyone. They’ve turned the "Big Four" into a "Big Six," and honestly, the northern teams are often more consistent. When you look at the tabla de posiciones MX over the last five years, the "Regio" teams are almost always in the top four. They have the depth to handle injuries, which is something the smaller clubs just can't do.
What to Watch for in the Final Weeks
When we get to Jornada 15, 16, and 17, the tabla de posiciones MX becomes a math problem.
- Goal Difference: It’s usually the first tiebreaker. A 4-0 blowout early in the season can be the reason a team makes the playoffs over a rival in May.
- Goals Scored: If points and goal difference are tied, the team that played more offensive football gets the nod.
- Away Goals: Still a factor in some tie-breaking scenarios, though Liga MX likes to change these rules more often than I change my socks.
How to Read the Table Like a Pro
If you want to actually understand what the tabla de posiciones MX is telling you, stop looking at the "PTS" column for a second. Look at "GP" (Games Played). Because of rescheduled matches due to international breaks, Leagues Cup, or stadium issues, the table is often "uneven."
One team might be in 1st place with 30 points, but they’ve played 15 games. The team in 2nd might have 28 points but has only played 13 games. Those "games in hand" are crucial. Don't let a temporary lead fool you.
Also, keep an eye on the "Form" guide—those little green and red circles. A team can be 5th in the standings but have lost four of their last five games. That team is "dead man walking" going into the Liguilla. Conversely, a 10th-place team on a six-game unbeaten streak is the one nobody wants to face.
Actionable Strategy for Following Liga MX
Instead of just checking the score on Sundays, use the standings to spot trends.
First, track the "Double Header" weeks (Jornada Doble). This is where the tabla de posiciones MX usually breaks. Deep squads like América thrive here, while smaller squads like Puebla or Querétaro usually tank because their players are exhausted.
Second, ignore the table for the first four weeks. It means nothing. The "real" table starts to take shape around Jornada 8.
Finally, watch the discipline. Yellow and red cards are the "secret" tiebreaker in the standings. If two teams are tied in points, goal difference, goals scored, and head-to-head, the team with the better fair play record moves up. It rarely comes to that, but in the chaotic world of Mexican soccer, you can never rule out the weirdest possible outcome.
The tabla de posiciones MX is a living document. It’s a reflection of a league that prizes entertainment and "momentums" over the long-term stability you find in Europe. Whether you're rooting for a "Grande" to return to glory or waiting for a dark horse to shake up the system, the standings are your roadmap through the madness. Keep an eye on those mid-week updates—they're usually where the real season is won or lost.