The 2026–27 Liga de Expansión MX season is the seventh professional season of the second-tier football division in Mexico. The season is divided into two championships—the Torneo Apertura and the Torneo Clausura—each in an identical format. The Apertura tournament will begin on 24 July 2026. The Clausura tournament will begin in January 2027.
| Season | 2026–27 |
|---|---|
← 2025–26 2027–28 →
Stats are from the regular season only | |
Changes from the previous season
editThe Liga de Expansión MX is a Mexican football league founded in 2020 as part of the Mexican Football Federation's "Stabilization Project", which has the primary objective of rescuing the financially troubled teams from the Ascenso MX and prevent the disappearance of a second-tier league in Mexico, for which there will be no promotion and relegation during the following six years.[1] The project also attempts for Liga MX and former Ascenso MX teams to consolidate stable projects with solid basis, sports-wise and administrative-wise, financially wise and in infrastructure.
- The 2025–26 Serie A runner–ups Alacranes de Durango was certified for promotion to the Liga de Expansión MX. However, the team will participate as a guest team and not as a full member of the league.[2]
- On April 16, 2026 Atlante left the league after buying the Mazatlán F.C. franchise in Liga MX, making it the first team in this division to "promote" to the top tier of Mexican football.[3]
- On April 22, 2026, the league owners' assembly approved the sale of the Celaya F.C. franchise, consequently the team was relocated to Veracruz and renamed Piratas F.C.[4] At the same meeting, the sale of the Cimarrones de Sonora franchise to Club Jaiba Brava was approved, so the Tampico Madero team become a full member of the league, ceasing to be a Liga Premier guest team.[4]
- On April 22, 2026 Cruz Azul Hidalgo requested entry into the league as a training team for Cruz Azul of Liga MX.[4]
- On June 10, 2026 Irapuato lost its place in the league due to conflicts between the team owners and the organization that owns the club's trademark rights.[5]
- On July 2, 2026, Dorados de Sinaloa returned to Sinaloa after two years playing in Tijuana, Baja California; however, the team was relocated to Mazatlán instead of Culiacán, its former city.[6]
- On July 3, 2026, Tapatío returned to Zapopan after playing in Tepatitlán during the previous tournament due to the need to protect the grass at Estadio Akron for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.[7]
Stadiums and locations
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Personnel and kits
edit| Team | Chairman | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor(s) front |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alacranes de Durango | Ciro Castillo Ibarra |  Héctor Jair Real |
Jesús González |
Keuka | #WeAreOne |
| Alebrijes de Oaxaca | Juan Carlos Jones | Efrén Hernández |
Octavio Paz |
Romed | Ballove Ballon Bar, Fiestamas App, Piticó, San Francisco Laboratorios |
| Atlético La Paz | Samuel Hernández |  Hugo Castillo |
Martín Barragán |
Sporelli | Baja Ferries |
| Atlético Morelia | Rubens Sambueza | Mario Ortiz |
Daniel Parra |
Keuka | Akron, ArcelorMittal, Harinera Monarca, Biocup, Michoacán, Cemex Tolteca, Electrolit, Autovías |
| Cancún | Jeff Luhnow |  Miguel Bravo |
Benjamín Galindo Jr. |
Adidas | Cancún |
| Correcaminos UAT | Armando Arce | Gabriel Pereyra |
Daniel Cisneros |
JAG Sportswear | Doña Tota |
| Cruz Azul Hidalgo | Víctor Velázquez | Vacant | Vacant | Pirma | Cemento Cruz Azul |
| Dorados de Sinaloa | José Antonio Núñez | Paco Ramírez |
Alfonso Sánchez |
Charly | Coppel, Caliente, SuKarne |
| Jaiba Brava | Gerardo Nader | Daniel Alcántar |
Sergio Flores |
Keuka | Nexum, GDL Transportes, Unitam, Grupo Velas, Mega, Bricer Logistics, Grúas Arias |
| Leones Negros UdeG | José Alberto Castellanos Gutiérrez | Alfonso Sosa |
Arturo Ledesma |
Keuka | Electrolit |
| Mineros de Zacatecas | Eduardo López Muñoz | Luis Ángel Muñoz |
Andrés Ávila |
Spiro | Fresnillo plc, Mifel, Chirey, Mobil |
| Piratas | René Vives Gómez | Mario García |
Vacant | Keuka | |
| Tapatío | Amaury Vergara | José Luis Meléndez |
Diego Delgadillo |
Puma | |
| Tepatitlán | Vacant |  Daniel Bartolotta |
Jesús Venegas |
Joma | Pacífica |
| Tlaxcala | Rafael Torre Mendoza |  Gustavo Leal |
José Plascencia |
UIN | Tlaxcala, Pronto |
| Venados | Rodolfo Rosas Cantillo |  Nacho Castro |
William Guzmán |
Joma | Yucatán, Nus-káh |
Managerial changes
edit| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Apertura changes | |||||||
| Piratas | New team | Mario García |
19 May 2026 | Pre–season | [8] | ||
| Cruz Azul Hidalgo | New team | TBA | TBA | ||||
| Correcaminos UAT | Gustavo Díaz |
Mutual agreement | 17 April 2026 | Gabriel Pereyra |
6 June 2026 | [9][10] | |
| Tepatitlán | Gabriel Pereyra |
5 June 2026 | Daniel Bartolotta |
1 July 2026 | [11][12] | ||
| Jaiba Brava | Marco Antonio Ruiz |
End of contract | 12 June 2026 | Daniel Alcántar |
13 June 2026 | [13][14] | |
Torneo Apertura
editThe defending champions are Tepatitlán. The regular tournament will begin on 24 July and will end on 31 October.
Regular season
editStandings
edit| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlético La Paz | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification to the quarter-finals[a] |
| 2 | Atlético Morelia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Cancún | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Cruz Azul Hidalgo | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Alacranes de Durango | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Jaiba Brava | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Alebrijes de Oaxaca | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Piratas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Dorados de Sinaloa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Tapatío | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Tepatitlán | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 12 | Tlaxcala | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Correcaminos UAT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Leones Negros UdeG | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Venados | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 16 | Mineros de Zacatecas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
First match(es) will be played: 24 July 2026. Source: Liga de Expansión MX
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of goals scored away; 5) Head-to-head results between tied teams; 6) Highest relegation coefficient; 7) Fair Play points
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Number of goals scored; 4) Number of goals scored away; 5) Head-to-head results between tied teams; 6) Highest relegation coefficient; 7) Fair Play points
Notes:
- ↑ The Teams ranked from 1st to 8th place qualify to the Liguilla quarter-finals.
Results
editEach team plays once all other teams in 15 rounds regardless of it being a home or away match.
References
edit- ↑ Enrique Martínez Villar (24 April 2020). "¡Se confirma! No habrá ascenso ni descenso en 6 años; aprueban Liga de Desarrollo". Mediotiempo. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
- ↑ "Tras dos años de ausencia, Durango vuelve a la Liga de Expansión MX". El Sol de Durango (in Spanish). 12 June 2026. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
- ↑ Aldana, Omar Flores (2025-12-09). "Liga MX da visto bueno al proceso para el regreso del Atlante". ESPN.com.mx (in Spanish). Retrieved 2026-07-04.
- 1 2 3 "Cruz Azul Hidalgo, Veracruz y Tampico regresan a Liga Expansión". ESPN México (in Spanish). 22 April 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Es oficial: Club Irapuato se queda fuera de la Liga de Expansión por conflicto entre A.C. y Healthy People". Periódico Correo (in Spanish). 10 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "¡Vuelve el futbol profesional! Dorados jugará el Apertura 2026 en Mazatlán". Punto MX (in Spanish). 3 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Así será el camino del Tapatío en el Apertura 2026 en su regreso al AKRON". Tapatío FC (in Spanish). 3 July 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "¿Quién es Mario García? El primer DT en la historia de Piratas FC" [Who is Mario García? The first manager in the history of Piratas FC]. XEU Deportes (in Spanish). 19 May 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Correcaminos se queda sin DT; se despide el uruguayo Gustavo Chavo" Díaz" [Correcaminos is left without a manager; Uruguayan Gustavo "Chavo" Díaz says goodbye]. La Afición (in Spanish). Milenio Diario. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Gabriel 'Místico' Pereyra es anunciado como el nuevo director técnico de Correcaminos" [Gabriel 'Místico' Pereyra is announced as the new manager of Correcaminos]. La Afición (in Spanish). Milenio Diario. 6 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Gabriel "Místico" Pereyra deja a Tepatitlán tras ser Campeón de Campeones y de liga" [Gabriel “Místico” Pereyra leaves Tepatitlán after winning the Champion of Champions and the league title]. La Afición. Milenio Diario. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Daniel Bartolotta es el nuevo director técnico de Tepatitlán F.C. para el Apertura 2026" [Daniel Bartolotta is the new manager of Tepatitlán F.C. for the Apertura 2026.]. Quiero TV on X (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "¡El fin de una era! Marco Antonio 'Chima' Ruiz sale de la Jaiba Brava: se despide del Tampico-Madero" [The end of an era! Marco Antonio ‘Chima’ Ruiz leaves Jaiba Brava: he says goodbye to Tampico-Madero]. El Sol de Tampico (in Spanish). 12 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ ""No la pensé dos veces": Borita Alcántar asume el reto con la Jaiba Brava en conferencia de prensa" [“I didn’t think twice”: Borita Alcántar takes on the challenge with Jaiba Brava at a press conference]. El Sol de Tampico (in Spanish). 13 June 2026. Retrieved 4 July 2026.