Liga MX Champions and Clubs: Most Titles in League History | OneFootball

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. / 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)

Primera División de México (1949-2012)

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

Liga MX (2012-)

Clubs with the Most Liga MX Titles

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:

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:

Which Teams Have Dominated Liga MX for Multiple Seasons?

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. / 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.