The two-legged final of the Clausura championship between Cruz Azul and Pumas offers an interesting glimpse into one of the fastest-growing national championships in the world: the Mexican one. Meanwhile, just for the record, it should be remembered that it is a derby between two clubs from Mexico City and that the first leg, which ended 0-0, was played at the Azteca, the stadium of Italy-Germany 4-3 which will also host one of the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup, next June 11. But the important aspect is the showcase effect that these finals have on Mexican soccer.
As analyzed by Espn, in fact, American investors are increasingly looking at Liga MX as one of the most interesting economic opportunities in global sports. In 2021, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, already owners of Wrexham, together with actress Eva Longoria and other investors purchased 50% of Necaxa. Subsequently, the Innovatio Capital group, led by Marc Spiegel, bought Querétaro, the first example of majority US ownership in Liga MX. In 2025, Apollo Sports Capital acquired a majority stake in Atlético Madrid, also taking over control of Atlético San Luis. Shortly after, the General Atlantic fund purchased 49% of the historic Club América. With FC Juárez, already co-managed by the Texan group MountainStar Sports Group since 2015, over a quarter of Liga MX clubs today have direct links to US investors.
Okay, but why are los gringos, as they call them over there, looking at Mexico? Because the clubs are still undervalued assets. Basically, they cost little and can generate excellent profits. What makes the championship particularly appealing is above all its enormous following in the United States. Liga MX, in fact, is not only popular at home, but also represents one of the most followed soccer products by the Latin American public residing in the US. The reason? The very high number of US residents of Mexican origin.
In 2023, the friendly between Chivas and Club América played in Los Angeles recorded over 86 thousand spectators at the Rose Bowl, a figure never reached by an MLS match. According to TelevisaUnivision, the main holder of the championship’s television rights in the United States, Liga MX is “the most followed club championship in the country, regardless of language”. The ratings confirm the trend: an average match of the 2026 Clausura recorded about 687 thousand viewers, numbers even higher than the seasonal average of the Premier League in the United States, which stands at about 510 thousand.
One of the most interesting aspects for investors concerns the economic model of Mexican soccer. Adrian Madero, Marc Spiegel’s financial partner and executive of The Fonseca Group, summarized the advantage with an emblematic phrase: “The real American dream is to earn in dollars and spend in pesos”. Television and commercial revenues largely arrive from the United States and are generated in dollars, while many of the clubs’ operating expenses remain in Mexican currency, significantly lowering management costs. American interest is also influencing the very structure of the Mexican championship. In 2020, Liga MX suspended the promotion and relegation system for six seasons, officially due to the economic uncertainty generated by the pandemic. A choice that has made the championship much more similar to MLS, where relegation risk does not exist and investments are therefore safer.
However, the question remains open. In 2025, ten clubs from the Mexican second division appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to restore the original system. Although Liga MX is theoretically obliged to reintroduce it from the 2026-27 season, a complete return of relegation seems unlikely. The most concrete hypothesis would instead be the stable expansion of the first division with new teams, permanently eliminating the relegation risk: a strategy clearly inspired by MLS.
The growth of Liga MX is inevitably fueling questions in the United States as well. Some investors indeed consider the Mexican championship a more profitable alternative compared to MLS. Club América, for example, reportedly has a corporate valuation of about 490 million dollars, against an average of 767 million for MLS franchises. Yet, according to Forbes, over half of MLS clubs supposedly closed 2024 at a loss, while many Liga MX companies generate operating profits. Furthermore, for years, the two leagues have collaborated through events such as the All-Star Game, the Campeones Cup and above all the Leagues Cup, fueling speculation about a possible future merger between the two championships. A possible North American “super league” remains only a hypothesis for now, but it is clear how the future of soccer on the continent will increasingly pass through the economic axis between the United States and Mexico.