The 2026 Liga MX Clausura season hits a brief pause for an (unofficial) international window in late January. With three matchdays completed for all clubs, early trends are beginning to take shape, while the transfer window remains open until February 9 for teams looking to strengthen their title ambitions.
Chivas Revival Looks Real
Beginning midway through the previous season, Chivas Guadalajara transformed from a mid-table Liga MX side into a team that looked genuinely capable of competing with the league’s elite. That upward trajectory has carried over into the Clausura, with Chivas currently the only undefeated team in Liga MX, boasting a perfect 3-for-3 start.
Despite bringing in just two players during a window that saw eight departures, those additions have made an immediate impact. Angel Sepulveda arrived from Cruz Azul, while Brian Gutierrez joined from the Chicago Fire (MLS). Gutierrez has quickly established himself as a midfield starter, providing service and support to highly touted young striker Hormiga Gonzalez, who has already found the net twice this season.
Chivas avoided dropping points with a dramatic 94th-minute winner against Juarez on Matchday 2 and will be favored to keep winning until the most demanding stretch of their schedule arrives. From February 14 to February 28, Chivas face Club America, Cruz Azul, and Toluca in a defining three-match run that will determine whether they can truly sustain their place atop the Liga MX table.
Club America Can’t Score Goals
Chivas’ hated rivals Club America have endured a bizarre and deeply troubling start to the Clausura. Their season opened on a cold night in Tijuana, where they managed only a scoreless draw against Club Tijuana Xolos despite generating four shots on target. That was followed by a shocking 2-0 home defeat to Joao Pedro Galvao and Atletico San Luis at the Estadio Azteca on Matchday 2, before another disappointing scoreless draw against Pachuca.
With Victor Davila, Rodrigo Aguirre, and Raul Zuniga rotating through the striker role, and attacking talent such as Allan Saint-Maximin deployed further forward, Club America remain scoreless through three matches. Some media outlets have labeled this stretch “The Worst America in History”. While that may be hyperbolic, the underlying issue is clear: despite a solid defensive base, Andre Jardine has been unable to unlock the attack of one of Mexico’s most talent-rich squads.
Should Club America stumble in their CONCACAF Champions Cup opener against Club Olimpia of Honduras—a two-leg tie sandwiched between a Liga MX clash against Monterrey Rayados—it is not inconceivable that Jardine could be dismissed before the Valentine’s Day Clasico against Chivas.
Toluca Continues to Shine
Despite Alexis Vega suffering a long-term knee injury, Toluca have shown no signs of slowing down. Under Antonio “Turco” Mohamed, the Red Devils continue to look like genuine title contenders.
Fielding what was essentially a “B squad,” Toluca impressed with a 1-0 away victory against Monterrey, followed by a win over Santos and a hard-fought scoreless draw against Tigres in Nuevo Leon—a rematch of the Liga MX final. Across all three matches, Toluca have arguably looked the superior side.
Brazilian winger Helinho has already scored twice this season, while Marcel Ruiz has been the standout presence in midfield. With Vega expected to return later in the campaign, it would be a major surprise if Toluca failed to finish inside the top four.
Regio Teams in Uncertain Form
Tigres were relatively quiet during the transfer window, and the defending Liga MX finalists have started the Clausura with a 1-1-1 record. Their lone defeat came in a surprise loss to Pumas, despite thoroughly outplaying their university rivals at home. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas delivered a heroic performance for Pumas, stopping every shot in a 1-0 victory where Tigres fired 31 shots towards goal.
Monterrey currently sit inside the top four, but their results warrant closer scrutiny. Wins away to Necaxa and Mazatlan were expected, while the 1-0 home loss to Toluca was a poor showing in which Rayados often appeared disinterested in the evening cold. Big signing Anthony Martial has begun to show improvement, finally scoring and adding two assists against Mazatlan, but the dominant storyline in Monterrey surrounds the future of striker German Berterame.
Personally recruited by Lionel Messi, Inter Miami are reportedly prepared to pay the $15 million release clause for the Rayados forward. Berterame, who featured in the Club World Cup and has scored 46 goals over the past two seasons, is one of Liga MX’s elite attackers and central to Monterrey’s offensive structure. With Argentine winger Luca Orellano yet to debut after arriving from FC Cincinnati, losing Berterame would significantly weaken Rayados’ goal production. He has already scored twice this season and was decisive in the recent finals series, including a dramatic late header against Club America.
Efrain Juarez Remains Under Pressure at Pumas
Pumas are undefeated through three matches, but their 1-2-0 record reflects an inability to turn performances into victories. They have scored just once in each match against Queretaro, Tigres, and Leon.
Efrain Juarez’s tenure at Pumas has yet to deliver convincing progress. The club has consistently hovered outside the league’s top six, and while Juarez’s fiery personality adds intrigue, passion alone has not translated into sustained success on the scoreboard.
The Sad State of Mazatlan
With Mazatlan FC set to fold at the end of the season and their Liga MX license reportedly being sold to Atlante, the Sinaloa-based club finds itself in a surreal and deeply unfortunate situation. Still competing in the top flight, Mazatlan have effectively become cannon fodder for the rest of the league.
After competitive losses to Juarez and Puebla—two clubs not traditionally among Liga MX’s elite—the wheels came off in a 5-1 thrashing by Monterrey, where Mazatlan’s defensive frailties were fully exposed. The club has not won a Liga MX match since October, and it is increasingly possible they could finish their final season winless.
Liga MX and club ownership have created an environment where players and staff are effectively auditioning for their next employers rather than competing for results. The consequence is stark: empty stands at Estadio El Encanto and one of the bleakest situations currently unfolding in professional football.
Main Photo Credit: Imago Images Copyright: xFABIANxMEZAx
