Liga MX Standings Tighten as América Retains Lead After Week 14

The race for the top spot in the Liga MX Apertura 2026 intensified on Sunday, October 25, following a pivotal slate of matches during the 14th round of the regular season. Club América maintained its hold on first place with 27 points, despite suffering a 2-1 defeat at home against Pachuca. The stumble allowed their closest rivals to narrow the gap significantly with just a few games remaining before the postseason phase.

Capitalizing on América's misstep, Cruz Azul secured a comfortable 3-1 victory over Querétaro at Estadio La Corregidora. With this triumph, La Máquina climbed to 26 points after completing their 14 fixtures, establishing themselves as formidable contenders for the regular-season crown. Guadalajara matched that 26-point threshold by defeating Monterrey 1-0, placing both Cruz Azul and Chivas right behind the league leaders and turning the battle for the top position into a tight race decided by goal differential and tiebreakers.

Further down the standings, the middle tier witnessed substantial movement. Tijuana capped off the weekend's action on Sunday night with a decisive 4-1 victory over Santos Laguna at Estadio Caliente. The dominant performance lifted the Xolos to 20 points, thrusting them firmly back into contention for the qualification spots as the tournament approaches its decisive final stretch.

The overall classification currently reflects a congested table where every match carries immense weight. Behind the leading trio of América, Cruz Azul, and Guadalajara, Atlas occupies the fourth position with 24 points, followed closely by Toluca with 23 and León with 22. Monterrey and Querétaro share 20 points each, while Santos Laguna and Atlético de San Luis sit just behind with 19 points apiece.

As the Apertura 2026 moves toward its conclusion, the competition for the remaining qualification slots remains wide open. Tijuana and Pumas are tied with 17 points, closely pursued by Pachuca and Puebla with 16 points each. Tigres holds 15 units, Atlante has 14, Necaxa sits at 10, and FC Juárez anchors the bottom of the table with 5 points.

Under the tournament format for the Apertura 2026, the top eight teams in the general standings will qualify directly for the quarterfinals, completely bypassing any play-in phase. With only three rounds left before the conclusion of the 17-game regular phase, teams outside the qualification zone face little margin for error.

The regular season is scheduled to wrap up in December ahead of the Liguilla phase. The tournament calendar also incorporates crucial FIFA international windows and logistical adjustments as the league enters its final stretch toward crowning a successor to the previous tournament's champion.