Liga MX Clausura 2026 Standings After Cruz Azul Topple Previously-Perfect Chivas

The gap atop the Clausura 2026 standings shrunk following a thrilling contest on Saturday night.

Cruz Azul became the first team to defeat Chivas since they themselves dispatched them in last November’s Apertura quarterfinals. | Manuel Velasquez/Getty Images

Liga MX experienced a vibrant weekend full of action and late goals, but the clash involving the top two teams of the Clausura 2026 was the marquee event—and it didn’t disappoint.

Cruz Azul and Chivas delivered the best game of the year in Mexican soccer on Saturday night, producing an absolute spectacle that oozed quality in every sense. In the end, though, Nicolás Larcamón’s Cruz Azul were just a smidge better and deservedly handed Gabriel Milito’s side its first defeat of the term, closing the gap to just two points in the standings.

The top-two’s nearest followers also secured positive results over the weekend, bunching the pack closer together near the top and setting the stage for an intense battle to secure the top seed come the Liga MX playoffs.

The playoff race in general continues to take shape, though after the weekend results, the fight for the top eight spots promises to once again be unpredictable and volatile as ever, with positions changing by the week.

Here’s how the Liga MX Clausura 2026 table looks like after the commanding leaders suffered their first stumble of the year.

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Liga MX Standings After Seven Games of Clausura 2026

Chivas remain Clausura 2026 leaders despite their maiden loss. | Jam Media/Getty Images

Position	Team	Points	Goal Difference
1	Chivas	18	+6
2	Cruz Azul	16	+5
3	Pumas	15	+8
4	Toluca	15	+7
5	Pachuca	14	+4
6	Atlas	13	0
7	Club América	11	+4
8	Tigres	10	+3
9	Monterrey	10	+3
10	Necaxa	9	-2
11	Tijuana	8	0
12	Atlético San Luis	7	-1
13	Club León	7	-3
14	Querétaro	5	-3
15	Puebla	5	-6
16	FC Juárez	4	-4
17	Mazatlán	4	-7
18	Santos Laguna	1	-14

*Querétaro and FC Juárez didn’t play their scheduled Gameweek 7 match.

Chivas no longer have a commanding lead atop the standings, as Cruz Azul continued their recent dominance against Los Rojiblancos and are now within striking distance of the summit.

Pumas also closed the gap after dispatching Monterrey on Sunday to remain as the only unbeaten team through seven games. Reigning champions Toluca, who will face Chivas up next, are also within touching distance of the top spot.

Pachuca and Atlas are two of the surprises of the season so far, and after securing late wins over the weekend, they’re in the thick of the playoff race. Club América responded from their painful defeat against bitter rivals Chivas with a dominant 4–0 win against Puebla.

Both North East powerhouses, Tigres and Monterrey, suffered defeats over the weekend, continuing a worrying start of the year where neither team is performing to the level their immensely talented rosters should be capable of.

Santos Laguna continue to occupy the basement with just one point, three points back of Mazatlán in 17th, as it appears Santos, a recurring contender for much of the first two decades of the century, remain stuck in a seemingly endless Liga MX purgatory.

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Liga MX Clausura 2026 Gameweek 8 Schedule

El Tri stars, Marcel Ruiz (left) and Armando González, will face each other next week in Toluca vs Chivas. | Alfredo Moya/Jam Media/Getty Images

Following a weekend that witnessed the consensus best game of the Clausura 2026 so far, the last weekend of the month promises to be perhaps an even greater treat for Mexican soccer fans. Saturday, Feb. 28 has, on paper, the best slate of games of the entire campaign, with three consecutive clashes involving the six preseason favorites taking place.

Fresh off tasting their first loss of the campaign, Milito’s Chivas now face the daunting challenge of visiting the house of reigning back-to-back champions Toluca, who could go level on points with a victory against the league leaders.

Then, the surging Cruz Azul will look to continue their assault on the top of the table when they visit the struggling yet mighty Monterrey. Both teams were semifinalists a season ago and the game will serve as an appetizer for their upcoming Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 tie.

The cherry on top of comes in the form of Club América and Tigres reigniting a modern-day Liga MX rivalry. The pair are the most successful clubs in Mexican soccer over the past 15 years, and have developed a disdain for each other due to a number of decisive meetings during that span, including four major finals.

Matchup	Date	Kick-Off Time
Mazatlán vs. Pachuca	Friday, Feb. 27	8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Querétaro vs. Santos Laguna	Friday, Feb. 27	8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
FC Juárez vs. Atlas	Friday, Feb. 27	10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT
Tijuana vs. Pumas	Friday, Feb. 27	10.06 p.m. ET / 7:06 p.m. PT
Atlético San Luis vs. Puebla	Saturday, Feb. 28	6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Toluca vs. Chivas	Saturday, Feb. 28	6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT
Club León vs. Necaxa	Saturday, Feb. 28	8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Monterrey vs. Cruz Azul	Saturday, Feb. 28	8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT
Club América vs. Tigres	Saturday, Feb. 28	10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

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