With the conquest of its 12th star, Toluca has consolidated itself within the elite of Mexican soccer
When talking about the hierarchy of Mexican soccer, the conversation always begins with the “big four” of the Liga MX. He Americalas Chivashe Blue Cross and the Pumas They constantly attract the attention of the country’s sports world. As the most prominent and powerful teams, they are not only the vanguard, but also a reference for other promises in the league. But after winning the Apertura 2025 title on Sunday, the Toluca has turned those big four into five.
“It was destiny,” star forward Alexis Vega told TUDN about scoring the winning penalty in Sunday’s Apertura final.
After winning their second consecutive title by beating Tigers in an exciting 12-round penalty shootout, with a 9-8 victory after a 2-2 aggregate, The Red Devils They are a valuable addition to the club of Liga MX greats. In a similar way to the number of penalties charged, the Toluca It now has 12 championships in the highest category of Mexican soccer, which places it in second place on the historical list, along with the Chivas. Demonstrating their strength in the modern era of Liga MX, nine of those titles have occurred in the last 30 years.
Their unconditional fans, who on Sunday sat behind a banner that said “Today and always united until the end”, also keep them among the most prominent in Mexican soccer.
That being said, reaching the championship on Sunday was not easy. Clear, Toluca was the seeded favorite after a stellar regular season, but they didn’t have Vega throughout the postseason, but until the last game of the final round-trip series. In every round of the postseason, starting with the quarterfinals last month, Los Diablos Rojos also conceded the first goal.
By overcoming one of those disadvantages against Tigers In the final, Toluca lost 1-0 after a clumsy mistake by the goalkeeper Hugo Gonzalez in the first leg last Wednesday. In response, the Toluca coach, Antonio Mohamedtook a significant risk by putting the substitute Luis Garcia to start in his place for Sunday’s second leg. And, as usual in the Liguilla, Mohamed’s men were looking for the advantage.
The distance between Toluca and Tigres doubled after the goal Fernando Gorriarán in the 14th minute of the second leg. Almost as if the football gods were playing a cruel joke on him, André-Pierre Gignac’s shot from a free kick initially looked like an easy save for García, before bouncing off Gorriarán’s legs.
With Toluca needing at least two goals to stay in the final, the television cameras focused on the local fans at the Nemesio Díez Stadium, highlighting a couple praying to higher divine powers to intervene or bring them the same fortune that gave them the title last season. Those pleas were answered with team unity, which reflected the tifo in the stands.
“We are a family,” said the captain Marcel Ruiz to TUDN about the team’s mentality. “We love each other a lot beyond the field; we are a family. We love each other a lot.”
First came a great goal from the Brazilian winger Helinho in the 40th minute, and then, in the 52nd, it was the Portuguese striker Paulinho who made it 2-2 on aggregate. Tied at the end of the game, and after two extra periods, penalties would decide the fate.
With rosary in hand, Mohamed He witnessed the penalty shootout until it ended in sudden death. For the “eleventh round”, the goalkeepers also intervened, and García saved a penalty from his fellow goalkeeper Nahuel Guzman to keep Toluca alive. At that moment, the Los Diablos Rojos coach couldn’t even watch.
“I didn’t even see the penalties,” he admitted. Mohamed after the game. “I just heard the noise.”
Vega, who returned from injury in his first Liguilla game of the season after being substituted in the 80th minute, paused for just over 10 seconds before launching the shot that would define the series. He conceded the ball against Guzmán, consolidating two consecutive championships and the twelfth title for Toluca.
Shortly after the final whistle, the 28-year-old youth player jumped into the fans’ area to sing with them. “With my friends I celebrate another victory,” he said.
Often living in the shadow of the big four, especially those located nearby, in the cultural and sporting heart of the country, in Mexico City, the fans of The Red Devils has a lot to celebrate. It is not just about lifting another trophy, but, as already mentioned, also about consolidating the club among the elite of Mexican soccer.
For decades, the big four clubs have dominated Liga MX. Even with the touted parity that exists in the league, general discussions and analyzes tend to focus on those four clubs. This is starting to change in the modern era, and even if Sunday’s result had gone in favor of Tigres, another Mexican team that has invested heavily in the 21st century, the conversation would be the same.
While the Club America remains at the top with 16 historical titles, the Toluca It is now four, with 12 championships, along with Chivas. If Tigres had won, they would have tied with Blue Cross in fourth place with nine titles.
When looking deeper into the causes of both Toluca and Tigres’ success, it may not be surprising that investing more in players and infrastructure (Los Diablos Rojos have the first “player service department” in Liga MX) translates into success on the field. However, it remains a warning for the usual giants: Liga MX evolves with or without them. And Toluca is hungry for more.
“It’s not a dynasty yet,” Mohamed said. “But we want to continue winning. We like being on this stage, and well, we will continue on this path.”
