A report says the updated competition rules will prevent Liga MX clubs from being relegated and Liga de Expansión teams from being promoted. The system, paused in 2020, was initially expected to return after six years.
That deadline has now passed, leaving second-tier clubs without the clearest sporting reward. The report says last-place Liga MX sides have instead faced financial penalties, a model that protects top-flight membership but weakens the consequences of poor performance.
For owners, the attraction is clear: predictable league status can support investment, planning and commercial growth. For players and supporters, the cost is a smaller competitive ladder. The protests indicate that frustration is no longer limited to boardrooms.
The decision also appears to reinforce Liga MX’s commercial alignment with MLS. The Mexican calendar is expected to pause for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game and the 2026 Leagues Cup, competitions that have gained increasing influence over the domestic schedule.
The report says MLS clubs have won every Leagues Cup edition and that no Liga MX side has reached the final. That record gives the partnership commercial weight, but it also raises a sporting question: is Mexican football prioritising cross-border stability over domestic progression?
The same debate extends to the transfer market. Club América defender Israel Reyes is reportedly the subject of an approach from AS Roma, although no move has been confirmed. América is said to be resisting the interest.
That storyline will test whether Liga MX’s financial strength can coexist with a clear pathway to Europe for its best players.
The next key moment will be the implementation of the new rules. Further protests, legal action or movement in the Reyes transfer saga could decide whether Liga MX’s closed structure becomes permanent policy or faces renewed pressure.