Liga MX

Neither Toluca nor América: This is the best team in Liga MX, according to Opta

According to a new ranking shared by Opta Analyst, the best team in Mexico is neither the Liga MX champion nor the league’s runner-up.

Jose Luis Melgarejo

Carlos Zúñiga AS USA

Update: Jun 7th, 2025 04:07 EDT

Cruz Azul continue to grab the headlines, after soccer data site Opta Analyst released the latest edition of its global ‘power rankings’ on Friday.

According to Opta’s statistical calculations, Los Cementeros are the best team in Mexico, surpassing the national champion, Toluca, and the Clausura 2025 runner-up, Club América. Cruz Azul are 17 positions ahead of Toluca, the second-highest-ranked Mexican team.

What is Cruz Azul’s global position in Opta’s ranking?

In Opta’s ranking, which considers approximately 10,000 teams globally, Cruz Azul has secured 65th spot worldwide.

They are ahead of notable global teams such as Real Sociedad, Valencia, Ajax, Palmeiras, Al-Hilal, Genoa, Rayo Vallecano, Flamengo, and others.

This recognition aligns with Cruz Azul’s performance over the past year and a half. Under the management of Martín Anselmi and Vicente Sánchez, the team has achieved the following results:

Clausura 2024: Second in regular season with 33 points; runner-up in playoffs
Apertura 2024: First in regular season with 42 points; semi-finals in playoffs
Clausura 2025: Third in regular season with 33 points; semifinals in playoffs
CONCACAF Champions Cup 2025: Winners