After a break of just over three weeks, the Liga MX returns with the Clausura 2024 and becomes America’s first relevant soccer league to kick off this year. The tournament will begin on January 12 with Querétaro vs. Toluca, and the regular phase will run through April 28. The playoffs will follow, with the final on May 26.
Favorites to win
América
As it could not be otherwise, Club América is the great favorite to revalidate the title in Mexican soccer, the one it won by beating Tigres in the second leg final at the Azteca stadium in December 2023.
Most of the stars of the ‘Águilas’ are still in the team, especially Julián Quiñones, Diego Valdés and Henry Martín. The only absentee will be winger/midfielder Miguel Layún, who retired from professional soccer.
On the other hand, Brazilian coach André Jardine has brought in left-back Cristian Calderón from Chivas.
Tigres
The second team with the best chance of becoming champion in Mexico is Tigres, the current runner-up. The Monterrey side has played in the last two finals, winning one. However, they have made little progress in the market, adding Argentine playmaker Juan Brunetta but losing striker Raymundo Fulgencio.
Monterrey
Curiously, the third candidate is also in the same city and is Monterrey, which has so far not undergone any significant sales. On the contrary, they added midfielders Jorge Rodríguez, from Argentina, and Jasiel Martínez.
The ‘Rayados’ have an experienced team, and there is a lot of expectation about what striker Rogelio Funes Mori can do. He did not have a great tournament last year, finishing with only six goals, far from the 11 of the top scorer, Harold Preciado.
Outside shots to win the Liga MX Clausura 2024
Outside the podium of candidates is Chivas de Guadalajara, a team that could not repeat the final of the first semester of 2023, especially due to the inconsistency it showed throughout the second one.
However, this year the ‘Rebaño’ opted for another foreign coach, Fernando Gago, in search of a more stylized soccer. They also reinforced their squad with attacker Ángel Zaldívar and defender José Castillo.
Guadalajara is still worried about the possible departure of Alexis Vega, and there are rumors of a stellar arrival, that of Javier ‘El Chicarito’ Hernández.
The top five is closed by Toluca, another team in debt for several seasons, being left out of the fight for the Mexican title. That is why they changed their coach and will now count on Renato Paiva.
The only addition so far is the Uruguayan right-back, Federico Pereira, while Fernando Navarro and Jesús Venegas have left.
Another team that deserves special attention is Cruz Azul, which reinforced with six players and hired Martín Anselmi as coach. There is also Pachuca, which brought to the league a player like Venezuelan Salomón Rondón, who played for River Plate, Everton, Newcastle, Málaga, and West Brom and is currently 34 years old.
Harold Preciado, from Santos Laguna, kept the same colors for the start of 2024 and hopes to fight for his second Golden Boot in Mexico, in addition to getting his team into the playoffs. The team with the least options for the title is once again Necaxa, whose only incorporation is Colombian striker Diber Cambindo.
Liga MX Clausura 2024 – Winner Odds – Info
América – 3.5
Tigres – 5.0
Monterrey – 7.0
Chivas de Guadalajara – 11.0
Toluca – 15.0
Pachuca – 17.0
Pumas – 19.0
Santos Laguna – 21
Club León – 23.0
Atlético San Luis – 25.0
Puebla FC – 26.0
Cruz Azul – 28.0
Atlas – 41.0
Mazatlán – 50.0
Querétaro – 65.0
Tijuana – 70.0
Juárez – 70.0
Necaxa – 90.0
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