Mexico · Tier 1 · 18 clubs
Liga MX
In US-sports termsThe most-watched soccer league in the United States — yes, ahead of MLS and the Premier League. And it runs like American sports: two seasons a year, each ending in a playoff bracket.
What it is
Mexico's top flight — 18 clubs, giant fanbases (Club América, Chivas, Cruz Azul), and a split calendar: the Apertura (July–December) and Clausura (January–May) are two separate tournaments, each crowning its own champion.
How you get in
Be one of the 18. Relegation to the second division has been suspended since 2020, so for now the club list is frozen — see the red line below.
What it feeds
Each half-season ends in the Liguilla — a playoff bracket (with a play-in round!) that decides the champion. Champions and top finishers earn Concacaf Champions Cup spots; the two season champions meet in the Campeón de Campeones; every club enters the Leagues Cup against MLS.
Two champions every year sounds strange until you realize it's just two playoff runs — the most American structure in world soccer, hiding south of the border.