The 2026 Liga MX Clausura, the second-half of the 2025-26 seasons, begins on January 9 with five USMNT players on the rosters of Liga MX clubs. All five of those teams advanced to the Apertura playoffs, with Marco Farfan’s Tigres making it to the final. The playoff picture changes for the 2026 Clausura, with Liga MX not using the play-in round this time due to the World Cup schedule.
Farfan’s Tigres finished in 2nd-place in the regular season, knocking out Tijuana in the quarterfinals, needing a tiebreaker to get past Cruz Azul in the semifinals, and ultimately losing on penalties to Apertura champions Toluca. That run of form sets high expectations for the 2026 Clausura, with Tigres among the favorites as the spring season begins. Tigres finished a point behind Toluca in the regular season, but that requires additional context. Three points separated 1st through 4th-place, showing how each round mattered in the Apertura. Finishing outside of the top six in spots seven through ten means entering the playoffs in the play-in round and potentially playing twice due to the second-chance game for the 8th and final seed in the playoffs. The difference between 7th and 10th in the Apertura was also just three points. As for Farfan, he played in 13 regular season games out of a possible 17, scoring twice. He played in six playoff games in his first season with Tigres.
Alex Zendejas’s Club America finished 4th in the Apertura, losing to 5th-place Monterrey 3-2 on aggregate over the two-legs of the quarterfinals. Zendejas played in both of those playoff games and scored a goal. That added to his regular season with 14 appearances and five goals. Zendejas has become one of the most awarded players in USMNT history, with two Apertura titles, two Clausura titles, a Mexican Cup, and a Campeones Cup.
Richy Ledezma played in 15 Apertura games and both playoff games, for Chivas, finishing 6th in the Apertura and taking the final playoff spot. They exited to Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals. Ledezma, who moved from PSV to Chivas in the summer, is already among Liga MX’s elite defenders. Expectations are always high at Chivas, with pressure on the club to push up the table this spring.
Joe Corona played in five regular season games and one playoff game for Tijuana, who won in the play-in round after finishing 7th in the regular season. Keeping the #7 seed in the playoffs, they lost 5-3 over two legs to Tigres in the quarterfinals. The compact nature of the Liga MX schedule with only 17 regular season games makes the middle of the table tough to judge. One slip could mean the difference between the playoffs or missing the postseason entirely by finishing outside of the top eight. Tijuana drew at home with Monterrey on October 5 and eventual champions Toluca on October 22, showing how tough they could be over the course of the Apertura.
A league down, Ventura Alvarado’s first season in the Liga de Expansion saw his club Irapuato making the final. Alvarado played in 12 games for Irapuato in the regular season, and five more in the playoffs, where he also scored a goal. Irapuato entered as the 4th-seed in the quarterfinals, advancing over 5th-seed Mineros Zacatecas on the higher seed tiebreaker after drawing 2-2. The higher seed tiebreaker was in play in the semifinals as well, with Irapuato advancing over 7th-seed Atletico Morelia after drawing 1-1 over two legs. Irapuato lost 1-0 over two-legs to Jaiba Brava in the final.
Liga MX on US Television
Games are shown on several networks, including Univision, Universo, and Telemundo. TUDN and Fox Deportes also show Liga MX games on cable. ViX and FOX One are streaming options. Check schedules for specific games.
USMNT Players in the 2026 Liga MX Clausura
| Player | Club |
|---|---|
| Richy Ledezma | Chivas |
| Alex Zendejas | Club America |
| Marco Farfan | Tigres |
| Joe Corona | Tijuana |
