Chivas vs. Club America: Five Classic Matches From Mexico’s Biggest Rivalry

The rich history of El Clásico Nacional speaks for itself.

Club América vs. Chivas is one of of the most intense and passionate rivalries in Latin American soccer. | IMAGO/AgenciaMex-Sport

There’s no rivalry in Mexican soccer that compares to“El Clásico Nacional”—the meeting of Chivas and Club América, the two biggest clubs in the country.

Chivas are the red and white crown jewel of Guadalajara that proudly boast the slogan of “the most Mexican team,” alluding to their traditional rule of only having Mexican players in their ranks.

Then there’s the polarizing villains of Liga MX, Club América. Las Águilas are the most successful team in Mexican history, loved by millions and hated by even more. A team who’s arrogant slogan, “hate me more” can be justified by their record 16 Liga MX titles.

It’s a rivalry that captures the eyes of an entire nation, games defined by passion, madness and complete chaos since the fist Clásico Nacional in 1943.

With Chivas and América preparing to write the latest chapter of El Clásico Nacional, here’s a look into the archives of this great fixture.

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1. Club América 3–1 Chivas: The Final of the Century (1984)

🎥 | #TBT La Final del Siglo, América 3-1 Chivas, 1983-1984
Revive el Clásico Nacional más importante.

📺 | https://t.co/KbRP89tfdw#SiempreÁguilas 🦅 #ElMásGrande pic.twitter.com/YXhiaQDSNg

— Club América (@ClubAmerica) September 24, 2021

Chivas and América have only met once with the Liga MX trophy on the line, yet in that lone 1984 meeting they delivered a blockbuster content now dubbed “La Final del Siglo.” (The Final of the Century)

After a 2–2 draw in Guadalajara, the Estadio Azteca witnessed the legendary return leg of the Liga MX final. The stage was set for América to reach glory on home soil, but things started poorly for Las Águilas with Armando Manzo getting sent off in the 27th minute.

América goalkeeper Miguél Zelada stole the show, saving a penalty and making a number of other stellar stops, and despite being a man down, they struck twice early in the second half through Eduardo Bacas and legendary captain Alfredo Tena.

Chivas got back into the game thanks to Fernando Quirarte’s goal, but future national team boss Javier Aguirre clinched the victory and the title for América with a stoppage-time goal, securing the most important win in the history of the rivalry.

To this day, this remains arguably the most iconic game in Mexican soccer history.

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2. Chivas 3–0 Club América: The Historic Brawl (1983)

A year prior to the final of the century, Chivas and América met in the 1982–83 semifinals. Las Águilas set the Liga MX regular season points record that campaign and won the first leg away at Chivas 2–1. Then, all hell broke loose in the return leg at the Estadio Azteca.

Chivas went into América’s house and completely dismantled Las Águilas in the second leg, convincingly thrashing their bitter rivals 3–0 to progress to the final.

The game will forever be remembered for an all-out brawl that was unleashed in the final minutes of the game. After Chivas scored a third, Roberto Gómez Junco walked towards América’s bench and mocked their players, prompting the melee.

For over 10 minutes, players from both sides traded punches on the pitch at the Azteca, with fans from both teams also invading the field to participate in the battle. The game had to be suspended and 10 América players and another seven Chivas stars were shown a red card.

This remains one of the most explosive and violent scenes Mexican soccer has ever witnessed, and as a result of the suspensions, Chivas went on to fall in the final vs. Puebla.

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3. Club América 4–3 Chivas: The Birth of a Legend (1994)

The legendary Cuauhtémoc Blanco became the personification of Club América. | Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images

On Nov. 13, 1994, América and Chivas played the best Clásico Nacional of the 1990s, a game where some of the biggest stars of each team delivered an absolute spectacle and where one of América’s most iconic legends sealed the win.

Headlined by two African stars, Las Águilas opened the scoring at Chivas’s Estadio Jalisco through Zambia international Kalusha. Then the legendary Ramón Ramírez responded with a brace to put the hosts in front.

Cameroon international François Omam-Biyik equalized for América before Daniel Guzmán restored Chivas’s lead. In the dying minutes, América’s all-time leading goalscorer Luis Roberto Alves “Zague” once again brought the visitors level, but the thrilling contest had one final twist.

With just minutes left in the game, then 21-year-old Cuauhtémoc Blanco scored a winning header for América to defeat their bitter rivals. It was the first moment of magic of a player that went on to become almost a deity for América fans, an icon that represented the polarizing brilliance of Las Águilas.

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4. Club América 3–3 Chivas: Aztec Stadium Spectacle (2005)

A young Guillermo Ochoa denied Chivas victory. | Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP/Getty Images

El Clásico Nacional failed to deliver truly memorable matches to start the 21st century, but that all changed in the Clausura 2005, when the bitter rivals produced an absolute spectacle at the Estadio Azteca that reinvigorated the derby for a new generation.

Las Águilas entered the contest as the favorites and went in front in three separate occasions during the match, with goals from Pavel Pardo, Óscar Rojas and Claudio López. Still, Chivas answered every single time, and Héctor Reynoso’s goal added to a brace from Francisco Palencia saw the match go level into stoppage time.

After coming back three times from a losing position, Chivas would’ve won the match were it not for a spectacular save from then 20-year-old Guillermo Ochoa. The now World Cup cult hero announced his arrival to Liga MX in this clash, rescuing the draw for eventual Clausura 2005 champions América.

It was a heavyweight bout between two of the best teams in Liga MX at the time, with the two clubs a year later becoming the biggest source of talent for the Mexico national team in the 2006 World Cup.

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5. Chivas 3–1 Club América: The Comeback Against All Odds (2023)

Chivas went into the Estadio Azteca and eliminated América in the Clausura 2023 semifinal. | Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images

América have emphatically dominated the rivalry over the past 15 years, but Chivas secured the most memorable victory in that same span, mounting a thrilling comeback in the second leg of the Clausura 2023 semifinal.

América won the away first leg 1–0 and were the overwhelming favorites to advance to the final. Chivas didn’t have the strongest of rosters, but their undying character was on full display in the return leg at the Estadio Azteca.

Because of Liga MX rules, Chivas needed to outright win on aggregate to qualify, a draw favored América because of their higher finishing position during the regular season. Goals from Diego Valdés and Rodolfo Cisneros sent the second leg level at one to the break. Then all hell broke loose.

Álvaro Fidalgo left América with 10-men after his red card just past the hour mark and Chivas smelled blood. Álan Mozo put the visitors in front in the 76th minute, one goal away from pulling off the upset.

Then, Jesús Orozco completed the heroic comeback two minutes from stoppage time, scoring a goal as incessant rain fell at the Azteca.

It remains the greatest win for Chivas in recent memory, but it was also a turning point in Liga MX history. Chivas would go on to fall in the final and have never been back since. América, however, rebounded from the defeat and proceeded to win three consecutive Liga MX titles in an unprecedented era of dominance, getting revenge against Chivas in the Clausura 2024 semifinal.

Still, Chivas’s comeback in the Clausura 2023 is the most memorable El Clásico Nacional witnessed during the 2020s.

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