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| Liga MX Femenil | |
|---|---|
| Name | Liga MX Femenil |
| Country | Mexico |
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Founded | 2017 |
| Teams | 18 |
| Domestic cup | Campeón de Campeones |
| Confed cup | CONCACAF Women's Champions League |
| Current champions | Club América |
| Season | Apertura 2023 |
Liga MX Femenil is the top level of professional women's football in Mexico, founded in 2017 to establish a national league alongside Liga MX (men), CONCACAF Women's Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup, CONMEBOL, UEFA, AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF. The competition rapidly drew attention from clubs like Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM, Monterrey, Santos Laguna, Atlas, and Club León, as well as national institutions such as the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, Secretaría de Cultura, Comisión Nacional del Deporte, Liga MX, FIFA, CONCACAF, UEFA Women's Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and international federations including United States Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association, Brazilian Football Confederation, Argentine Football Association, Spanish Football Federation, English Football Association, German Football Association, and French Football Federation.
The league was announced after meetings involving the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, Liga MX, CONCACAF, FIFA, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM, and Monterrey, and launched in 2017 with clubs drawn from established men's franchises such as Toluca, Atlas, Querétaro, Santos Laguna, Pachuca, León, Necaxa, Atlas F.C., and Atlas Women. Early tournaments featured standout matches at venues like Estadio Azteca, Estadio Universitario, Estadio Jalisco, Estadio Hidalgo, Estadio BBVA, Estadio Akron, and Estadio Olímpico Universitario, and showcased players who would later join national programs including Mexican women's national football team, Women's Professional Soccer (USA), National Women's Soccer League, Chelsea FC Women, Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, FC Barcelona Femení, VfL Wolfsburg (women), Arsenal W.F.C., and Portland Thorns FC. Influential figures such as administrators from the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, coaches with experience at CONCACAF Women's Championship and tournaments like the Pan American Games and Central American and Caribbean Games, and athletes with ties to the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup helped shape the league's regulations and calendar.
Liga MX Femenil adopted a split-season model mirroring Liga MX (men), with Apertura and Clausura tournaments, and employed a playoff phase akin to the Liguilla used by clubs including Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Cruz Azul, Pumas UNAM, Monterrey, Atlas, and Santos Laguna. The format has evolved through consultations with CONCACAF, FIFA, UEFA, Pelé, Jorge Vergara, Decio de María, Enrique Bonilla, and club presidents from Grupo Pachuca, Grupo Salinas, Grupo FEMSA, Chivas de Guadalajara S.A. de C.V., and Fomento Deportivo y Cultural A.C.. Qualification rules intersect with continental competition discussions involving CONCACAF Women's Champions League and potential links to tournaments like the FIFA Club World Cup, affecting squad registration, foreign-player limits, and youth-inclusion policies that echo debates in English Football League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1.
Clubs affiliated with historic institutions such as Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Monterrey, Pumas UNAM, Cruz Azul, Atlas, Santos Laguna, León, Toluca, Pachuca, Querétaro, Necaxa, Mazatlán FC, Tijuana, Puebla, Atlético San Luis, and FC Juárez participate, often using home grounds like Estadio Azteca, Estadio BBVA, Estadio Universitario, Estadio Jalisco, Estadio Hidalgo, Estadio Akron, Estadio Corona, Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, Estadio 10 de Diciembre, and municipal venues managed by local governments including Ciudad de México, Monterrey, Guadalajara, Pachuca, León, Toluca, and Tijuana. Several clubs operate academies tied to institutions such as Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, CONADE, and regional federations, and have sought partnerships with international clubs like Manchester City FC, Manchester United F.C., Chelsea F.C., FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus F.C., Paris Saint-Germain F.C., Ajax Amsterdam, Boca Juniors, and River Plate.
Players have emerged from pathways involving the Mexican women's national football team, U-20 Mexico women's national football team, U-17 Mexico women's national football team, university programs at Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education, Tecnológico de Monterrey, and clubs' youth systems like Tigres UANL U-20, Monterrey U-20, Club América Femenil U-17, and Chivas Femenil Academy. Notable transfers involved moves between Liga MX Femenil and leagues such as the National Women's Soccer League, FA Women's Super League, Division 1 Féminine, Frauen-Bundesliga, Damallsvenskan, Nadeshiko League, and A-League Women. Medical, fitness, and talent identification programs collaborate with institutions like CONADE, UNAM, CIFUT, FIFA Development Programme, and international scouts from United States Soccer Federation, Canadian Soccer Association, UEFA, and CONMEBOL.
Coaching staffs include professionals with experience from CONCACAF Women's Championship, FIFA Women's World Cup, Pan American Games, Olympic Games, and club roles at Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, Monterrey, Pumas UNAM, and Cruz Azul, as well as technical directors whose resumes mention LaLiga, Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, and Ligue 1. Management structures involve executives from Grupo Pachuca, Grupo Modelo, Grupo Salinas, FEMSA, Chivas S.A. de C.V., Televisa, and TV Azteca, and collaborate with governance bodies like the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, FIFA, CONCACAF, and regional federations. Coaching education pathways align with certifications from FIFA Coaching Courses, UEFA Pro Licence, CONCACAF Pro License, and national programs administered by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación and universities such as UNAM and Tecnológico de Monterrey.
Broadcasting agreements have involved major media corporations including Televisa, TV Azteca, Fox Sports Mexico, ESPN Deportes, TUDN, Claro Sports, DAZN, Amazon Prime Video, Sky México, HBO Max, and streaming platforms tied to rights holders in Ciudad de México, Monterrey, Guadalajara, United States, Canada, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. Coverage has expanded through sports journalism outlets such as ESPN, Fox Sports, Marca, AS, Mediotiempo, Record, Récord (Mexico), La Afición, and broadcasters of international events like the FIFA Women's World Cup and CONCACAF Women's Championship. Social media presence leverages platforms operated by Meta Platforms, Inc., Twitter, Inc., TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and distribution partners including Grupo Televisa and Grupo Salinas.
The league influenced discussions at Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación meetings, generated attendance records at Estadio Azteca and Estadio BBVA, and prompted comparisons with established competitions such as the National Women's Soccer League, FA Women's Super League, Division 1 Féminine, Frauen-Bundesliga, and Damallsvenskan. It affected national-team selection for Mexico women's national football team at tournaments like the Olympic Games, FIFA Women's World Cup, CONCACAF Women's Championship, and Pan American Games, and inspired cultural responses across media outlets including Televisa, TV Azteca, ESPN, Fox Sports, Marca, AS, and fan organizations linked to clubs like Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Tigres UANL, and Monterrey. Debates about investment, infrastructure, and parity involved stakeholders such as FIFA, CONCACAF, Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación, CONADE, Secretaría de Cultura, Grupo Pachuca, Grupo Salinas, FEMSA, Televisa, and TV Azteca.
Category:Women's football leagues in Mexico