MEXICO
Liga MX, Leagues Cup, Nations League, Gold Cup, El Tri friendlies: key dates for the diary
As the 2023 Clausura winds down, a busy window of activity opens with Liga MX teams in the Leagues Cup as El Tri compete in the Nations League and Gold Cup.
A frantic summer of soccer awaits for Mexican domestic clubs and for Diego Cocca’s ‘El Tri’ as the Mexican national team look to put the poor Qatar 2022 World Cup campaign behind them and turn over a new leaf under the 51-year-old Argentine.
A new ten-point-plan was outlined by the Mexican FA on Monday with the ideas and initiatives destined to invigorate domestic football in the mid-term which will then in turn hopefully boost all levels of the national team as thoughts turn to the 2026 World Cup with games set to be staged in Monterrey, Guadalajara and Mexico City.
In the short term, a busy schedule lies ahead for Liga MX clubs and El Tri with no let-up in the action at domestic and international levels.
Liga MX
Clausura 2023
Chivas Guadalajara and Tigres are the finalists of the 2023 Clausura with the first leg scheduled for Thursday 25, May and the return leg at the Estadio Akron set to take place on Sunday 28, May.
Campeon de Campeones
The one-off game between 2022 Apertura winners Pachuca and Clausura winners (Tigres/Chivas) will take place at LA Galaxy’s Dignity Park Stadium on 25 June.
Apertura 2023
The new season will commence on 30, June with the old repechaje set to be replaced by an NBA inspired ‘play-in’ format which will come into operation for the first time: teams finishing 1st-6th progress to the Liguilla as 7th vs. 10th and 8th vs. 9th sides will decide the last two Liguilla places.
2023 League’s Cup
The 2023 Leagues Cup will be held from 21 July to 19 August with MLS and Liga MX action paused during that period.
Starting this year, all 47 teams from MLS and Liga MX will enter into a new-look competition featuring a World Cup-style tournament. It will begin with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, with teams separated into four regions: East, West, South and Central.
A total of 77 games will be hosted at MLS stadiums throughout the USA and Canada.
Mexico national team
Friendly games
The only friendly game confirmed by the Mexican FA is a pre-Nations League test against the ‘Indomitable Lions’ from Cameroon with that game set to be played in San Diego on 10 June.
Concacaf Nations League
On 15 June, Mexico are pitted against the US in the semi-final of the 2023 Nations League with the winners set to meet Canada/Costa Rica in the final. Games are set to take place at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium with the final set for 18 June.
Concacaf Gold Cup
Diego Cocca’s Mexico have been placed in Group B of the 2023 Gold Cup and will face Honduras (25 June), Haiti (29 June) and Qatar on 2 July.
Should Mexico look to add to their eight Gold Cup triumphs, they will advance to the quarterfinals on 8-9 July with the semi finals scheduled for 12 July ahead of the final game which will go ahead at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (California) on 16 July.