The Liga MX final will be one for the ages, but the lack of local headlining Mexican talent is a concern
When Club América hosts Monterrey in the first leg of the Liga MX final, fans will expect to see top showings from Spanish midfielders, American goalscorers, and South American defenders.
Monterrey’s biggest star is Sergio Canales, a Spain native signed from Real Betis last summer. This summer, he was joined by Oliver Torres, the hero of Rayados’ semifinal triumph over Atlético San Luis, and Argentine attacker Lucas Ocampos.
América, too, relies on a Spaniard, with Alvaro Fidalgo the team’s most important midfielder. Mexican-American winger Alejandro Zendejas, Paraguayan midfielder Richard Sanchez, Mexican center back Ramon Juarez, and Uruguayan forward scored the goals in their thrilling second-leg semifinal win over Cruz Azul.
While there will be talent on display in the battle for the Liga MX title, much of that talent is already committed to playing international soccer elsewhere. Which should raise an alarm for both the Mexican Football Federation and the top flight in the country.
Getty Images SportThe El Tri players involved…
Mexican stars absolutely could still shine as América seeks to win its record third consecutive championship in short tournaments and Monterrey hope to spoil the party by lifting their sixth league trophy and first since 2019.
Club América leans on forward Henry Martin and No. 1 goalkeeper Luis Malagon. are getting center back Victor Guzman back from injury, and he could slot into a back line that also includes current Mexico fullback Gerardo Arteaga and veteran Hector Moreno.
Yet, the final will largely showcase stars who aren't from Mexico.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportForeign Influence
Foreign influence has often been a positive force in Liga MX. Tigres’ French forward André-Pierre Gignac, for example, has become a club legend, earning the nickname "Mr. Liguilla" for his electrifying postseason performances. Mexico’s national team has also benefited from South American immigrants, such as Rayados forward Germán Berterame and former América winger Julián Quiñones, both of whom represented El Tri after becoming naturalized citizens.
However, this growing reliance on foreign talent has raised concerns among league directors, prompting efforts to enforce stricter caps on the number of foreign players allowed on the field. To promote homegrown talent, the league introduced a rule requiring teams to provide 1,000 minutes to young players each season. Yet loopholes, such as awarding credit for appearances in Concacaf’s U-20 Championship, enable top clubs to either barely meet the requirement or sidestep it entirely.
The rules aren’t working. Managers and sporting directors spoke against them all season for the way they hamstrung their own development timelines for their young players. Now, the league is likely to do away with the rules altogether.
Getty Images SportHope for local prospects
There is hope, though, even among the teams who made it to the final. Homegrown midfielder Iker Fimbres, who is 19, became Monterrey’s hero in the with a pair of goals to sink rival Tigres. He’s kept his starting spot, learning from the imports from Spain and Argentina. Rayados also signed up-and-coming Mexican midfielder Fidel Ambriz during the summer
Roberto de la Rosa, too, has excelled. A 24-year-old Mexican forward long tipped to be a future national team player after developing at Pachuca, manager Martin Demichelis has favored him, though a knock suffered in the semifinal may mean more playing time for U.S. international Brandon Vazquez.
Both goalkeepers are Mexican – though Monterrey are only fielding Luis Cardenas because of an injury to Argentine No. 1 Esteban Andrada.
In other countries, players like De La Rosa, Ambriz, and América midfielder Sanchez would jump abroad after showing promise at a young age and earning first-team minutes. In Mexico, they move from mid-tier clubs to the upper-echelon on big-money deals with the top Liga MX teams paying more than any foreign club is willing to offer.
GettyThe challenges that remain
This is the real issue. Liga MX clubs with resources coaxing Canales, Gignac or Fidalgo to come to the league is a positive for fans and clubs. Why wouldn’t they want to tune in to see stars at the height of their game winning trophies for their teams? Yet, the issue is that they should be standing out in Liga MX, while the young Mexican players are getting the best coaching possible and facing top competition in European leagues.
Instead, they stay at home, leaving for Europe far too late to learn critical lessons or play bit parts in title campaigns that only make it more likely they’ll remain in Mexico for their entire domestic careers. It's an issue Javier Aguirre has had to navigate in his third spell as Mexico's manager, having a national team pool that isn't getting regularly tested by the best in the world on a club level.
The final will be a good showcase of Liga MX’s best, and we should see great games on Thursday and Sunday. It will not, however, be a good showcase of Mexican talent – something that should concern Liga MX leaders, Aguirre ands legion of fans in North America.
