The Clausura 2026 playoffs are here: What to look forward to
With the Liga MX postseason upon us, Mexican soccer is approaching the climax of its Clausura 2026 tournament.
Toluca enters the Clausura 2026 playoffs as the reigning two‑time Liga MX champion. Led by Antonio Mohamed, Los Diablos Rojos are chasing history: matching what Club América accomplished a few tournaments ago by winning three consecutive titles in the short‑tournament era.
Toluca heads into the title fight as the fifth seed, having totaled 30 points with eight wins, six draws, and three losses. Their quarterfinal opponent will be Pachuca, who finished fourth with 31 points.
Clásico capitalino
The top seed of the Clausura 2026, Pumas, face their fiercest rivals, Club América, in a blockbuster quarterfinal matchup. Efraín Juárez steadied Los Universitarios after their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions Cup and guided them to the summit of the table with 36 points, 11 more than América, who only narrowly secured a place in the postseason. André Jardine’s side will be aiming to surprise Los Auriazules.
Chivas without their internationals
Raúl “Tala” Rangel, Luis Romo, Brian Gutiérrez, Roberto Alvarado, and Armando “Hormiga” González will all be unavailable for Chivas during the playoffs, as they are just hours away from reporting for World Cup 2026 duty. Gabriel Milito now prepares for a demanding series against Tigres. Guadalajara finished as the second‑best team of the regular season with 36 points, while the Tigres ended the campaign in seventh place with 25 points.
La Máquina looks to bounce back
Cruz Azul vs Atlas rounds out the quarterfinal stage of the Clausura 2026. La Máquina, now coached by Joel Huiqui, will try to get the better of Diego Cocca’s Atlas side. Cruz Azul finished third with 33 points, while Los Rojinegros qualified with 26 points.
First‑leg matches and referee appointments:
- May 2, 9:00 p.m. ET: Tigres vs Chivas, Estadio Universitario l Referee: Jassiel Reynoso
- May 2, 11:15 p.m. ET: Atlas vs Cruz Azul, Estadio Jalisco l Referee: Yonatan Peinado
- May 3, 7:00 p.m. ET: América vs Pumas, Estadio Banorte l Referee: Luis E. Santander
- May 3, 9:15 p.m. ET: Toluca vs Pachuca, Estadio Nemesio Diez l Referee: Fernando Hernández
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