Liga MX Champions and Clubs: Most Titles in League History

These are the most successful clubs in Liga MX history.
Club America is the reigning Liga MX champion.
Club America is the reigning Liga MX champion. / Azael Rodriguez/Getty

Since its inception in 1943, a total of 24 different teams have been crowned champions of Liga MX, Mexico's premier soccer division.

Some teams have won the title just once, while others have claimed it multiple times, and in some cases, even consecutively.

This seemingly unusual number of different champions can be attributed to Liga MX's unique format, which, since 1996, has split each season into two tournaments—the Apertura (formerly Invierno) and the Clausura (formerly Verano)—each culminating in a playoff competition featuring eight teams, the Liguilla.

Here, we'll explore the most successful teams in the league’s history and take a closer look at those who have dominated Liga MX and continue to shape its legacy.

Liga MX Champions: Complete List by Year

Atlas is one of Liga MX's founding clubs.
Atlas is one of Liga MX's founding clubs. / Manuel Velasquez/Getty

Here’s a breakdown of which club won Mexico’s league title during each year, starting first as Liga Mayor, then as the Primera División de México, and finally as Liga MX.

Liga Mayor (1943-1949)

Season

Winner

1943–44

Asturias

1944–45

Real España

1945–46

Veracruz

1946–47

Atlante

1947–48

Club León

1948–49

Club León

Primera División de México (1949-2012)

Season

Winner

1949–50

Veracruz

1950–51

Atlas

1951–52

Club León

1952–53

Tampico

1953–54

Marte

1954–55

Zacatepec

1955–56

Club León

1956–57

C.D. Guadalajara

1957–58

Zacatepec

1958–59

C.D. Guadalajara

1959–60

C.D. Guadalajara

1960–61

C.D. Guadalajara

1961–62

C.D. Guadalajara

1962–63

Oro

1963–64

C.D. Guadalajara

1964–65

C.D. Guadalajara

1965–66

Club América

1966–67

Toluca

1967–68

Toluca

1968–69

Cruz Azul

1969–70

C.D. Guadalajara

1970*

Cruz Azul

1970–71

Club América

1971–72

Cruz Azul

1972–73

Cruz Azul

1973–74

Cruz Azul

1974–75

Toluca

1975–76

Club América

1976–77

Pumas UNAM

1977–78

Tigres UANL

1978–79

Cruz Azul

1979–80

Cruz Azul

1980–81

Pumas UNAM

1981–82

Tigres UANL

1982–83

Puebla

1983–84

Club América

1984–85

Club América

Prode 1985

Club América

México 1986

Monterrey

1986–87

C.D. Guadalajara

1987–88

Club América

1988–89

Club América

1989–90

Puebla

1990–91

Pumas UNAM

1991–92

Club León

1992–93

Atlante

1993–94

Tecos

1994–95

Necaxa

1995–96

Necaxa

Invierno 1996

Santos Laguna

Verano 1997

C.D. Guadalajara

Invierno 1997

Cruz Azul

Verano 1998

Toluca

Invierno 1998

Necaxa

Verano 1999

Toluca

Invierno 1999

Pachuca

Verano 2000

Toluca

Invierno 2000

Morelia

Verano 2001

Santos Laguna

Invierno 2001

Pachuca

Verano 2002

Club América

Apertura 2002

Toluca

Clausura 2003

Monterrey

Apertura 2003

Pachuca

Clausura 2004

Pumas UNAM

Apertura 2004

Pumas UNAM

Clausura 2005

Club América

Apertura 2005

Toluca

Clausura 2006

Pachuca

Apertura 2006

C.D. Guadalajara

Clausura 2007

Pachuca

Apertura 2007

Atlante

Clausura 2008

Santos Laguna

Apertura 2008

Toluca

Clausura 2009

Pumas UNAM

Apertura 2009

Monterrey

Bicentenario (Clausura) 2010

Toluca

Apertura 2010

Monterrey

Clausura 2011

Pumas UNAM

Apertura 2011

Tigres UANL

Clausura 2012

Santos Laguna

*Held in celebration of the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico.

Liga MX (2012-)

Season

Winner

Apertura 2012

Tijuana

Clausura 2013

Club América

Apertura 2013

Club León

Clausura 2014

Club León

Apertura 2014

Club América

Clausura 2015

Santos Laguna

Apertura 2015

Tigres UANL

Clausura 2016

Pachuca

Apertura 2016

Tigres UANL

Clausura 2017

C.D. Guadalajara

Apertura 2017

Tigres UANL

Clausura 2018

Santos Laguna

Apertura 2018

Club América

Clausura 2019

Tigres UANL

Apertura 2019

Monterrey

Clausura 2020

-

Guardianes (Apertura) 2020

Club León

Guardianes (Clausura) 2021

Cruz Azul

Apertura 2021

Atlas

Clausura 2022

Atlas

Apertura 2022

Pachuca

Clausura 2023

Tigres UANL

Apertura 2023

Club América

Clausura 2024

Club América

Apertura 2024

Club América

Clubs with the Most Liga MX Titles

Club América
Club América is Liga MX's most dominant team. / IMAGO/Agencia-MexSpor

Here are the clubs that have won the most Liga MX titles of all time:

Club

Liga MX Titles

Club América

16

C.D. Guadalajara

12

Toluca

10

Cruz Azul

9

Club León

8

Tigres UANL

8

Pumas UNAM

7

Pachuca

7

Santos Laguna

6

Monterrey

5

Most Successful Clubs in the Liga MX Playoff Era

The modern Liguilla format of Liga MX, which currently sees the top eight teams at the end of each season compete in a knockout playoff tournament for the title, was first introduced in 1970.

Since then, Club América has been the league's most dominant team, winning 15 titles, while Toluca and Tigres UANL have each claimed eight apiece.

Here are the clubs that have won the most Liga MX titles since the introduction of the Liguilla:

Club

Liga MX Titles (Since 1970)

Club América

15

Toluca

8

Tigres UANL

8

Cruz Azul

7

Pumas UNAM

7

Pachuca

7

Santos Laguna

6

Monterrey

5

C.D. Guadalajara

4

Club León

4

Which Teams Have Dominated Liga MX for Multiple Seasons?

Chicharito
Chivas were Liga MX's first powerhouse. / IMAGO/Agencia-MexSport

Club América, C.D. Guadalajara and Cruz Azul are the three clubs that have enjoyed the most sustained success in Liga MX history.

Guadalajara, also known as Chivas, controlled the league’s early years. After winning its first title in 1956–57, the club went on to claim seven of the next 10, including an impressive four in a row between 1958 and 1962.

By the late 1960s, Cruz Azul began to challenge Chivas’ reign, with the two clubs trading titles for three consecutive years—Cruz Azul winning in 1968 and 1970, and Chivas taking the 1969 title—each time with the other finishing as runner-up.

Cruz Azul then went on a dominant run of its own, winning five of the next 10 championships, including an incredible three straight in 1972, 1973, and 1974.

Club América, meanwhile, emerged as the powerhouse of the 1980s, securing five league titles. After a relatively quiet spell in the 2000s and 2010s, América has since reestablished itself as Liga MX’s top team, winning all of the last three titles.

Notable Liga MX Finals & Historic Championship Matches

André-Pierre Gignac was the star of the 2015 Apertura final.
André-Pierre Gignac was the star of the 2015 Apertura final. / Newscom/IMAGO

The highest-scoring Liga MX championship final occurred in the 2022 Apertura, when Pachuca defeated Toluca by an astonishing 8-2 aggregate over two legs.

Pachuca dominated the first leg, winning 5-1 after scoring four goals in the first half, before sealing the title with a 3-1 victory in the second leg to claim its seventh championship.

Other high-scoring finals include C.D. Guadalajara’s 7-1 aggregate win over Toros Neza in the 1997 and Monterrey’s 6-4 triumph over Cruz Azul in the 2009 Apertura.

One of the most thrilling Liga MX finals of all time took place in the 2015 Apertura, featuring Pumas UNAM and Tigres UANL.

Tigres dominated the first leg with a 3-0 victory, but Pumas staged an incredible comeback in the second leg, mirroring the scoreline to force extra time. Tigres regained the lead in extra time, only for Pumas to equalize with practically the last kick of the game, sending the final to a dramatic penalty shootout.

The fairytale comeback wasn't to be, however, as Pumas missed two of their four spot kicks in the shootout, allowing Tigres to claim the title.


READ THE LATEST LIGA MX NEWS, PREVIEWS, PREDICTIONS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE

feed


Published
Barnaby Lane
BARNABY LANE

Barnaby Lane is a highly experienced sports writer who has written for The Times, FourFourTwo Magazine, TalkSPORT, and Business Insider. Over the years, he's had the pleasure of interviewing some of the biggest names in world sport, including Usain Bolt, Rafael Nadal, Christian Pulisic, and more.