Toluca pursues the historic three-time championship in an atypical Clausura
The stage is set for one of the most difficult feats in modern Mexican football. This weekend the Clausura 2026 Tournament starts and, above all things, there is a clear mission in Toluca’s mind: to emulate América as the only clubs to achieve a three-time championship in the era of short tournaments.
The Red Devils, led by Argentine strategist Antonio Mohamed, begin the defense of their crown this Saturday with a complicated visit to Monterrey. They have just defeated Tigres in a dramatic final in December, sealing their two-time championship. Now, the goal is bigger.
“We have every hope, we have the dream of being able to do it (the three-time championship) and we are going to try with everything we have,” said Mohamed. “We will see in the end if it is enough for us, but we are going to try, we are going to try.”
To reinforce that ambition, the red board made key moves in the market. The most notable addition is that of midfielder Sebastián Córdova, Olympic medalist in Tokyo 2020, who seeks to rediscover his best version after an opaque time at Tigres.
“We are happy with the market we did, and now, we want to continue competing in this tournament to be able to be in that final stage, which is something we propose,” said the coach.
A championship with special rules for the World Cup
However, this fight for history will take place under exceptional conditions. Everything is subject to the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will begin on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium. Local soccer leaders implemented significant changes to shorten the calendar.
The most notable thing is the elimination of the playoffs or ‘Play-In’, a phase that has been played since Apertura 2023. In addition, it was agreed that the clubs will give up their players called up by the Mexican National Team in advance. This means that no team will be able to participate in the league.
The footballers chosen by the national coach, Javier Aguirre, must leave their teams in the last week of April to take vacations and report to the concentration on May 4.
To compensate for these forced losses, an extraordinary rule will be activated during the playoffs: teams will be able to field up to nine foreign players on the field, with only two mandatory spots for Mexicans. This measure applies to everyone equally, regardless of how many teams each club loses.
Added to this is that Chivas and Monterrey will have to give up their stadiums to FIFA for the World Cup. If they qualify for the league, they will be forced to play as visitors in their own games.
The particular (and complicated) case of Chivas
This is where things get really interesting. Due to its unwavering philosophy of playing only with Mexicans, Chivas will be the team most affected by these regulations. While other clubs can reinforce their selected losses with foreign talent, the Sacred Flock does not have that resource.
Led by Gabriel Milito and after a previous tournament where they reached the quarterfinals, their mission to win the crown for the first time since Clausura 2017 looks enormously complicated. Although the final list for the World Cup is uncertain, key players such as goalkeeper Raúl Rangel, midfielder Luis Romo and forwards Roberto Alvarado and Armando González (scorer in the last tournament) have been recurring in Aguirre’s squads. Losing them would be a very hard blow.
Who can stop Toluca?
Beyond the special rules, there will be rivals hungry for titles seeking to prevent the Devils from writing their name next to América.Cruz Azul appears as a serious threat. The Celeste Machine, directed by Nicolás Larcamón and eliminated in the semifinals of the last tournament, reinforced its squad with important pieces such as former River Plate Nicolás Palavecino and Miguel Borja. They seek to break their drought since Clausura 2021.
América, of course, returns to the fray after losing to Toluca in last year’s final. Their aspirations will depend on key figures recovering their best physical and emotional level. And you should never rule out the powerful Monterrey teams: Monterrey and Tigres have such deep and talented rosters that they are always involved in the discussion for any championship.
In short: get ready for a unique Clausura Tournament. On the one hand, we see a historic chase led by a hungry Toluka. On the other hand, an adapted format that will reward not only quality but also the depth of the squad and the ability to adapt in the face of unavoidable losses. It will be a comprehensive test for champions and aspirants.
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