Liga MX Clausura 2026: Predictions | OneFootball

Mexican soccer gets underway for 2026 this weekend, but who will be title challengers, surprise packages and the biggest underperformers?

2025 was dominated by Toluca, who lifted back-to-back trophies, ending a 15-year wait for a piece of silverware. Tigres competed until the death in the Apertura, only being denied glory from a penalty shootout, whilst Cruz Azul and Monterrey proved that they can also be dangerous.

At the opposite end of the table; Atlas, Santos Laguna, Club León and Necaxa will all consider their 2025 Apertura efforts as below-par, and will be looking to turn it around in the new year.

Liga MX Clausura 2026: Biggest Flop

The biggest flop goes to a team that finishes well below the expectations set, and there are a few teams which could take this crown.

Pumas and Pachuca were two of the biggest flops in the Apertura, with the pair failing to reach the playoffs. Pachuca particularly disappointed, as they won the first three opening games of the campaign.

However, my prediction for the most underwhelming team in the 2026 Clausura is Club América.

Mexico’s most successful football club, boasting 16 league titles, has gradually fallen down the pecking order. This time last year, Las Águilas were on a run of three consecutive titles, but now they find themselves bowing out of the Apertura at the quarter-final stage to Monterrey.

My biggest concern for André Jardine and his side is their lack of firepower up top. Toluca have Paulinho and Alexis Vega, Germán Berterame continues to cause nightmares for Monterrey as Tigres boast a whole host of attacking outlets. But for América, their top goalscorer was a left-winger, Brían Rodríguez, who registered seven goals in 19 matches in the Apertura.

Liga MX Clausura: Surprise Package

In recent tournaments, the surprise package has come from a variety of clubs. FC Juárez reached their first-ever Liguilla last time around, whilst Necaxa pushed Tigres to the last minutes of their quarter-final meeting in the 2025 Clausura.

Ahead of the upcoming Clausura, my punt goes with Atlético de San Luis.

A team that has reached the playoffs in at least one of the two competitions every year for the last three years, their failure in the Apertura leads me to believe that they will turn up the heat this time around.

The team is headed by a 33-year-old João Pedro, a Brazilian who will be an issue after netting 12 times during the Apertura, only bettered by Paulinho and Armando González.

Los Potosinos have dipped into the market to strengthen their attacking options for the season by signing Leonardo Flores from Tigres and Santiago Muñoz, who is looking for his break after dry spells with Santos Laguna and Sporting Kansas City.

Liga MX Clausura: Champion

As far as title contenders go, it will be hard to look away from Toluca, the current bi-champions.

Los Rojos Diablos have dominated the league throughout 2025, under the helm of the league’s most decorated manager, Antonio Mohamed.

That being said, my prediction for the 2026 Liga MX Clausura is for Cruz Azul to cause a major shock and win their first title since 2022.

La Máquina ended its first campaign under Nicolas Larcámon as semi-finalists, narrowly missing the final their lower league position saw Tigres advance. However, they showed that they can compete at the highest level.

The reigning champions of the Concacaf Champions League, Azul play fast-paced, high-pressing football, a style completely different to the one that got them to the 2024 Clausura final, under Martín Anselmi, but they are back to their best.

While their attacking numbers don’t match those of Tigres and Toluca, La Máquina avoided defeat against all the top teams during the regular season. Wins against Toluca, Club América, Chivas and Monterrey, showed that they were hard to break down, and despite getting knocked out in the semi-final, the club didn’t lose a single one of their four games in the post-season.