The 2020–21 Liga MX season was the 74th professional season of the highest level division of association football in Mexico. The season was divided into two short tournaments (Guard1anes 2020 and Guard1anes 2021), each with 18 participating clubs and the same format. Both tournaments were renamed as Guard1anes to honor healthcare workers in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. The season began on 24 July 2020.
The season saw the debut of Mazatlán F.C., replacing Monarcas Morelia, who were relocated to Mazatlán, Sinaloa to become the new Mazatlán franchise, despite backlash from supporters, former players, and the sports media across Mexico. The season saw an expanded playoff system. Twelve teams qualified to the Liguilla instead of eight.
Clubs Stadiums and locations Club Location Stadium CapacityAméricaMexico CityAzteca 87,000AtlasGuadalajara, JaliscoJalisco 55,110Atlético San LuisSan Luis Potosí, San Luis PotosíAlfonso Lastras 25,709Cruz AzulMexico CityAzteca 87,000GuadalajaraZapopan, JaliscoAkron 45,364JuárezCiudad Juárez, ChihuahuaOlímpico Benito Juárez 19,703LeónLeón, GuanajuatoLeón 31,297MazatlánMazatlán, SinaloaMazatlán 25,000MonterreyGuadalupe, Nuevo LeónBBVA 53,500NecaxaAguascalientes, AguascalientesVictoria 23,851PachucaPachuca, HidalgoHidalgo 27,512PueblaPuebla, PueblaCuauhtémoc 51,726QuerétaroQuerétaro, QuerétaroCorregidora 33,162Santos LagunaTorreón, CoahuilaCorona 29,237TijuanaTijuana, Baja CaliforniaCaliente 27,333TolucaToluca, State of MexicoNemesio Díez 31,000UANLSan Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo LeónUniversitario 41,886UNAMMexico CityOlímpico Universitario 48,297
Personnel and kits Club Chairman Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor(s)América Santiago Baños Santiago Solari Guillermo Ochoa Nike AT&TAtlas José Riestra Diego Cocca Aldo Rocha Charly Banco AztecaAtlético San Luis Alberto Marrero Leonel Rocco Camilo Mayada Pirma Canel'sCruz Azul Álvaro Dávila Juan Reynoso José de Jesús Corona Joma Cemento Cruz AzulGuadalajara Amaury Vergara Víctor Manuel Vucetich Jesús Molina Puma CalienteJuárezGuillermo Cantú Alfonso Sosa Darío Lezcano Carrara S-MartLeón Jesús Martínez Murguia Ignacio Ambríz Luis Montes Pirma Cementos FortalezaMazatlán Mauricio Lanz González Tomás Boy Rodrigo Millar Pirma CalienteMonterrey Duilio Davino Javier Aguirre Dorlan Pabón Puma AT&TNecaxa Ernesto Tinajero Flores Guillermo Vázquez David Cabrera Pirma RolcarPachuca Armando Martínez Patiño Paulo Pezzolano Jorge Hernández Charly Cementos FortalezaPuebla Manuel Jiménez García Nicolás Larcamón Javier Salas Umbro AT&TQuerétaro Manuel Velarde Héctor Altamirano Gil Alcalá Charly CalienteSantos Laguna Dante Elizalde Guillermo Almada Dória Charly SorianaTijuana Jorge Hank Inzunsa Robert Siboldi Jonathan Orozco Charly CalienteToluca Francisco Suinaga Hernán Cristante Rubens Sambueza Under Armour BanamexUANL Alejandro Rodríguez Ricardo Ferretti Guido Pizarro Adidas CemexUNAM Leopoldo Silva Gutiérrez Andrés Lillini Juan Pablo Vigón Nike DHL
Managerial changes Club Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table Ref.Pre-Guard1anes 2020 changesQuerétaro Víctor Manuel Vucetich Mutual agreement termination 2 June 2020 Alex Diego 23 June 2020PreseasonTijuana Gustavo Quinteros Resigned 12 June 2020 Pablo Guede 19 June 2020 UNAM Míchel Resigned 23 July 2020 Andrés Lillini (Interim) 23 July 2020 Guard1anes 2020Guadalajara Luis Fernando Tena Sacked 9 August 2020 Marcelo Michel Leaño (Interim) 9 August 2020 17th Atlas Rafael Puente Jr. Sacked 10 August 2020 Rubén Duarte (Interim) 10 August 2020 16th Atlas Rubén Duarte (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 14 August 2020 Diego Cocca 11 August 2020 16th Guadalajara Marcelo Michel Leaño (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 13 August 2020 Víctor Manuel Vucetich 13 August 2020 13th UNAM Andrés Lillini (Interim) Ratified as manager 17 August 2020 Andrés Lillini 17 August 2020 3rd Necaxa Alfonso Sosa Sacked 4 September 2020 José Guadalupe Cruz 6 September 2020 14th Toluca José Manuel de la Torre Sacked 28 September 2020 Carlos Adrián Morales (Interim) 28 September 2020 10th Mazatlán Francisco Palencia Sacked 3 October 2020 Tomás Boy 5 October 2020 17thQuerétaro Alex Diego Sacked 26 October 2020 Héctor Altamirano 27 October 2020 17th Atlético San Luis Guillermo Vázquez Mutual agreement termination 30 October 2020 Luis Francisco García (Interim) 31 October 2020 18th Pre-Guard1anes 2021 changesAtlético San Luis Luis Francisco García (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 23 November 2020 Leonel Rocco 23 November 2020Preseason Monterrey Antonio Mohamed Mutual agreement termination 25 November 2020 Javier Aguirre 7 December 2020 Toluca Carlos Adrián Morales (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 25 November 2020 Hernán Cristante 1 December 2020 Juárez Gabriel Caballero Sacked 26 November 2020 Luis Fernando Tena 28 November 2020 Puebla Juan Reynoso Sacked 1 December 2020 Nicolás Larcamón 9 December 2020 Cruz Azul Robert Siboldi Resigned 11 December 2020 Luis Armando González (Interim) 11 December 2020 América Miguel Herrera Sacked 21 December 2020 Santiago Solari 29 December 2020 Cruz Azul Luis Armando González (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 7 January 2021 Juan Reynoso 7 January 2021 Guard1anes 2021 changesJuárez Luis Fernando Tena Sacked 15 March 2021 Alfonso Sosa 17 March 2021 16thNecaxa José Guadalupe Cruz Sacked 16 March 2021 Guillermo Vázquez 18 March 2021 18th Tijuana Pablo Guede Mutual agreement 12 April 2021 Ildefonso Mendoza (Interim) 14 April 2021 11thTijuana Ildefonso Mendoza (Interim) End of tenure as caretaker 19 April 2021 Robert Siboldi 19 April 2021 15th
Torneo Guard1anes 2020 The Apertura tournament was named Guard1anes 2020, in honour of the job healthcare workers have done during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. The tournament began on 24 July 2020.
Regular phase League table
Positions by round
Results Teams played every other team once (either at home or away), completing a total of 17 rounds.
Individual statistics First goal of the season: André-Pierre Gignac for Tigres UANL against Necaxa (25 July 2020)
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name. Rank Player Club Goals 1 Jonathan Rodríguez Cruz Azul 12 2 André-Pierre Gignac UANL 11 3 Juan Ignacio Dinenno UNAM 10 Darío Lezcano Juárez 5 Camilo Sanvezzo Mazatlán 8 6 Henry Martín América 7 Ángel Mena León 8 Alexis Canelo Toluca 6 Rogelio Funes Mori Monterrey Nicolás López UANL Santiago Ormeño Puebla Hugo Silveira Querétaro Federico Viñas América
Source: Liga MX
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Víctor DávilaPachucaAtlético San Luis3–13 September 2020 Camilo SanvezzoMazatlánAtlético San Luis5–029 October 2020
Final phase
Reclassification
Bracket
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Torneo Guard1anes 2021 The Clausura tournament was named Guard1anes 2021, in honour of the job healthcare workers have done during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. The tournament began on 7 January 2021.
Regular phase League table
Positions by round
Results Teams played every other team once (either at home or away), completing a total of 17 rounds.
Individual statistics First goal of the season: Santiago Ormeño for Puebla against Guadalajara (8 January 2021)
Top goalscorers Players sorted first by goals scored, then by last name. Rank Player Club Goals 1 Alexis Canelo Toluca 11 2 Nicolás Ibáñez Atlético San Luis 10 3 Rogelio Funes Mori Monterrey 9 Santiago Ormeño Puebla Jonathan Rodríguez Cruz Azul 6 Fidel Martínez Tijuana 8 Ángel Mena León 8 Henry Martín América 7 9 Víctor Dávila León 6 Michael Estrada Toluca Nicolás López UANL José Juan Macías Guadalajara Ángel Sepúlveda Querétaro
Source: Liga MX
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Alexis CaneloTolucaMazatlán4–17 February 2021 Santiago OrmeñoPueblaJuárez4–012 February 2021
Attendance Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, the majority of matches in the beginning of the season were played behind closed doors. On 7 January 2021, Liga MX announced states that are green and yellow on the traffic light monitoring system have the authorization to allow fans in attendance at a reduced capacity. Mazatlán announced it would allow up to 7,575 fans in attendance (40% of stadium's capacity). On 12 January 2021, it was announced Necaxa would allow 30% capacity for their Week 2 match against Atlético San Luis. Due to a rise in cases in the state of Aguascalientes, Necaxa did not allow fans in attendance for their Week 5 and 7 matches but later allowed fans in Week 9.
On 1 March 2021, state authorities of Jalisco authorized the opening of Atlas and Guadalajara's stadiums at 30% capacity. On 2 March 2021, Liga MX announced stadiums can be up to 50% capacity; the announcement came after various states' status went to yellow on the traffic light monitoring system. That same day, the state authorities of Chihuahua authorized FC Juárez to have fans in attendance, also at 30% capacity. As the season progressed, León, Pachuca, and Santos Laguna, were authorized to open their stadiums by their local Governments.
Home match played behind closed doorsAway matchHighest attended matchLowest attended matchPPDMatch postponed
Team Week 1234567891011121314151617 América 0 0 0Atlas 4,457 5,785 12,740 22,982 7,661 3Atlético San Luis 5,175 5,448 10,623 5,312 2Cruz Azul 0 0 0Guadalajara 10,141 4,704 4,806 11,076 30,727 7,682 4Juárez 5,211 5,780 5,911 3,191 20,093 5,023 4León 4,891 5,090 5,196 4,888 20,065 5,016 4Mazatlán 7,049 6,527 6,378 7,267 9,543 10,159 8,785 9,337 65,045 8,130 8Monterrey 10,167 9,279 9,767 29,213 9,737 3Necaxa 3,726 4,948 4,153 8,099 4,726 6,127 31,779 5,297 6Pachuca 5,801 5,325 6,533 17,659 5,886 3Puebla 12,778 12,778 12,778 1Querétaro 4,373 4,373 4,373 1Santos Laguna 6,510 8,453 6,374 8,067 29,404 7,351 4Tijuana 0 0 0Toluca 0 0 0UANL 5,605 12,225 17,830 8,915 2UNAM 0 0 0Total 7,049 3,726 0 6,527 0 6,378 0 7,267 10,159 16,053 20,812 38,73320,16228,00544,34157,986 45,373 312,5716,94645
Source: Liga MX
Highest and lowest Highest attended Lowest attended Week Home Score Away Attendance Home Score Away Attendance 1 Mazatlán 3–2 Necaxa 7,049N/A2 Necaxa 1–0 Atlético San Luis 3,726N/A3 No matches with fans in attendance4 Mazatlán 1–0 Pachuca 6,527N/A5 No matches with fans in attendance6 Mazatlán 0–3 Atlético San Luis 6,378N/A7 No matches with fans in attendance8 Mazatlán 3–0 Querétaro7,267N/A9 Juárez 1–6 Monterrey 5,211 Necaxa 2–2 Pachuca 4,94810 Mazatlán 1–1 Guadalajara 9,543 Santos Laguna 3–1 Necaxa 6,51011 Guadalajara 0–3 América 10,141 Juárez 1–1 UNAM 5,78012 Mazatlán 0–1 América 10,159 Necaxa 1–0 Juárez 4,15313 Juárez 0–1 Cruz Azul5,911 Atlas 1–0 Tijuana4,45714 Necaxa 0–1 UNAM 8,099 Juárez 2–1 Atlético San Luis3,19115 Monterrey 0–1 Pachuca 9,279 Necaxa 0–0 Querétaro4,72616 Puebla 0–0 UNAM 12,778 Querétaro 1–0 Juárez 4,37317 Guadalajara 0–0 UANL 11,076 León 2–1 Querétaro 4,888
Source: Liga MX
Final phase
Reclassification
Bracket
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals
Coefficient table As of the 2020–21 season, the promotion and relegation between Liga MX and Liga de Expansión MX (formerly known as Ascenso MX) was suspended, however, the coefficient table will be used to establish the payment of fines that will be used for the development of the clubs of the silver circuit.
Per Article 24 of the competition regulations, the payment of $MXN240 million will be distributed among the last three positioned in the coefficient table as follows: 120 million in the last place; 70 million the penultimate; and 50 million will be paid by the sixteenth team in the table.Liga MX
The team that finishes last on the table will start the following season with a coefficient of zero. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic suspending the Clausura 2020 season, the points obtained in the 2020–21 season between matches not held in the Clausura 2020, will now count as double for the 2020–21 coefficient.