The Liga MX Femenil, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX Femenil for sponsorship reasons, is the highest division of women's football in Mexico. Supervised by the Mexican Football Federation, this professional league has 18 teams, each coinciding with a Liga MX club.[5]
Following the same schedule as the men's league, each season consist of two tournaments: an Apertura tournament, which takes place from July to December, and a Clausura tournament, which takes place from January to May.
The league's first official domestic cup competition took place in May 2017 via the Copa MX Femenil, a now discontinued tournament that was created with the objective of preparing the teams for the inaugural season of the league which began in July 2017.[6] Former Liga MX President, Enrique Bonilla, stated that the league was created in order to nurture the stars of the Mexico women's national football team and to build an infrastructure for women's football in Mexico.[7]
In 2007, there was an attempt to professionalize women's football in Mexico via the Liga Mexicana de Fútbol Femenil. While the league did foster some success, it did not have major sponsorships and lacked media coverage as well as fan support. Therefore, major clubs such as Chivas, pulled their support.[10]
In December 2016, during a general assembly meeting with all Liga MX club owners, former Liga MX President, Enrique Bonilla, announced the formation of the new Liga MX Femenil in an effort to grow and build talent within Mexico.[15] The announcement stated that 16 out of the 18 Liga MX clubs (excluding Puebla and Chiapas due to financial problems) would field U-23 rosters with four U-17 players and up to two overage players.[7][5]
Before the inaugural season, the teams participated in a preparation tournament called Copa MX Femenil.[16] The tournament took place between 3 May and 6 May 2017, with only 12 of the 16 teams participating due to four clubs not having a team ready by the time of the tournament's inauguration.[17]Pachuca won this tournament by winning the final 9–1 against Club Tijuana.[18]
First tournament
The first Apertura 2017 matches were played on 28 July 2017.[19]Chivas won the first Liga MX Femenil championship on 24 November 2017 by defeating Pachuca in the final. The two matches drew record-setting crowds of 28,955 and 32,466 spectators, respectively.[20][21]
Commentator Glenn Moore declared the Liga MX Femenil to have concluded a "very successful debut campaign."[22]
The Chivas Femenil starting lineup that played the first leg of the Apertura 2017 final against Pachuca.
Regulations
During the inaugural season, teams were expected to field U-23 rosters; four slots were reserved for U-17 players, while two were for overage players. All players had to be born in Mexico. Additionally, the sixteen teams were split into two groups. Teams in each group played each other twice per season. The top two teams from each group advanced to the liguilla (playoffs), which consisted of a semifinal of two matches (home and away) followed by a final, also of two matches.
League rules mostly stayed the same for the second season. However, the U-23 limit was raised to U-24.[23] liguilla spots were also expanded to include eight teams instead of four, with the top four teams from each group moving on to the liguilla.[24]
For the third season, the age limit was raised to 25, but each team was allowed to field up to 6 overage players at a time. In addition, the groups were undone, so each team would play each other at least once during the season. Foreign-born Mexican players were also allowed to play, with up to six allowed per team. This decision brought in more players to the league from the NCAA, as well as from the NWSL and Spain's Primera División.
For the fouth season, the overage limit was removed, nonetheless the teams are still being required to allocate 1,000 minutes of play time per tournament to U-20 players.[25] The Campeón de Campeones championship was also introduced to the league for the first time, with Tigres winning the first edition automatically by winning the league title of both tournaments.[26][27]
For the fifth season, the league began to allow each team to have two international non-Mexican players on their roster.[28] On 25 June 2021, Tigres became the first club to make use of this option by signing Brazilian player Stefany Ferrer.[29] The league also inaugurated its youth division; Club América won the initial tournament.[30]
Beginning with the sixth season, the league implemented VAR in the liguilla phase of the tournament. International non-Mexican players spots also increased from two to four per team.[31]
Notable results
The league set history during the Clausura 2018 tournament as the second match of the final between Monterrey and Tigres at Estadio BBVA was at the time the highest-attended club match in women's football history, with a total of 51,211 fans attending the match.[32] This record has been broken multiple times since then,[33] but Mexico still holds the record for the highest attendance on a women's football match, which took place during the 1971 Women's World Cup final at Estadio Azteca.[34]
On 5 October 2019, a Liga MX Femenil team won for the first time against an NWSL team when Tigres beat Houston Dash 2–1 at the Estadio Universitario.[35] Previously, the Houston Dash had faced Monterrey in 2018 in a preseason match that ended with a 3–1 victory in favor of the Dash; This match represented the first time that a Liga MX Femenil team faced an NWSL side.[36]
On 5 July 2022, a Liga MX Femenil team and a European team faced each other for the first time when Club América played against Frauen-Bundesliga team Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Estadio Azteca. The match ended in a 1–0 victory for América.[37]
In November 2022, the league's previous highest attendance record set during the Clausura 2018 final between Monterrey and Tigres (51,211 attendees) was broken as the first match of the Apertura 2022 final between Tigres and Club América at Estadio Azteca drew a crowd of approximately 52,654 fans.[38] This final also broke tv viewership records as it was viewed by more than 5.3 million people, therefore becoming the most-watched Liga MX Femenil final in history.[39][40][41] The second match of this final was also the most-viewed women's football match in history in North America.[40] As a whole, the Apertura 2022 tournament was until that point the most viewed tournament in Liga MX Femenil history.[39]
During the Clausura 2023 tournament, Tigres accepted to transfer Nigerian forward Uchenna Kanu to NWSL club Racing Louisville for a $150,000 fee plus incentives, at the time the largest transfer in league history.[42][43] Additionally, the previous attendance record of the league which was set during the Apertura 2022 tournament, was broken once again during the Clausura 2023 tournament as approximately 58,156 fans attended the second leg of the final of this tournament at Estadio Azteca to watch Club América win its second title in history.[44] The Clausura 2023 tournament also became the most viewed tournament in league history as more than 15 million people tuned in to watch throughout the tournament.[45]
During the Apertura 2023 tournament, the previous transfer record set during the previous season was broken once again when Tigres transferred American forward Mia Fishel to Chelsea for a reported $250,000 fee.[46] Additionally, the transfer of Miah Zuazua from FC Juárez to Club América was the first transaction between two Liga MX Femenil clubs in which a transfer fee was paid.[47]
Club changes
During the inaugural season, only 16 out of the 18 Liga MX teams had a Liga MX Femenil team as Chiapas and Puebla were allowed to not have a team due to financial problems.[5] However, by the second season, all 18 teams had an active Liga MX Femenil team. By then, Chiapas had been relegated to Ascenso MX, while Lobos BUAP had been promoted to Liga MX. As such, Lobos BUAP and Puebla both introduced their Liga MX Femenil teams during the 2018–2019 season.
By the third season, the league was expanded to 19 teams as Atlético San Luis Femenil was introduced due to Atlético San Luis being promoted to Liga MX while no team was relegated.[48] Additionally, the Lobos BUAP franchise was acquired by then-second division club FC Juárez, as such the Lobos BUAP femenil team moved from Puebla to Juárez to form FC Juárez Femenil.[49] After the Apertura 2019, Veracruz folded in Liga MX, as such Veracruz Femenil was now a defunct club as well, bringing the league back down to 18 teams.[50][51]
Sponsorships
Prior to the third season, BBVA México announced that it would sponsor the Liga MX Femenil in addition to Liga MX and Ascenso MX. With the sponsorship, which is slated for at least three years, the league's name was changed to Liga BBVA MX Femenil in June 2019.[52] Each club also has sponsors for their jerseys, salaries, TV rights, and other factors.
On 29 March 2023, Liga MX Femenil announced that Nike would become an official sponsor of the league. Unlike other sponsorships the league has, this one is exclusively for Liga MX Femenil. With this sponsorship, the official match ball of the league will be provided by Nike. Nike will also be providing equípment to all league players including players of the league's youth division, product innovation, and investment in development programs. The sponsorship is set to go into full effect beginning with the Apertura 2023 tournament and is set to last for three years.[53][54][55]
Lower and youth divisions
Lower divisions
In addition to the Liga Mexicana de Fútbol Femenil, Mexico is also home to the Liga Mayor Femenil. Many players in Liga MX Femenil previously played in either of these existing leagues, as well as in various Mexican or US college teams and the WPSL.
Youth division
Since the beginning of 2022, the league has had a youth division to develop players in which all clubs are required to participate.[56] This division began as a U-17 division, but it will gradually increment the allowed age of the players that can participate in it after each season until it becomes a U-20 division. This is done with the objective of giving continuity and a chance of debuting professionally to the players that partake in this division.[57] There are future plans for the league to expand this division by including unique categories for ages 15–20.[57]
Teams
The following 18 clubs will compete in the Liga MX Femenil during the 2023–24 season.
Each Liga MX Femenil season has two tournaments: an Apertura tournament, which takes place from July to December, and a Clausura tournament, which takes place from January to May. Each tournament has a regular phase, and a Liguilla (Liga MX Femenil version of the playoffs) phase.
Regular phase
For the inaugural 2017–18 season, the regular phase competition format consisted of 16 teams divided into two groups of eight from which the top two teams from each group at the end of the regular phase qualified for the semi-finals of the liguilla.[77] For the 2018–19 season, the regular phase format was changed along with the addition of two more teams to the league. With the new format, 18 teams were divided into two groups of nine from which the top four teams from each group at the end of the regular phase of the tournament qualified for the quarter-finals of the liguilla.[24] For the 2019–20 season, the format was once more changed and the current regular phase format was implemented. The current format consists of a single table of 18 teams, in which each team plays against the other 17 teams. After 17 matchdays, The top eight teams advance to the quarter-finals of the liguilla.[78]
Playoffs (liguilla) phase
The Liguilla (Spanish for "little league") is the playoff phase of the tournament. This phase begins with the quarter-finals, for which the top eight teams at the end of the regular phase qualify. Each knockout stage of the Liguilla is played as a two-game series (home-and-away basis), in which the team that finished higher in the table during the regular phase always plays the second match at home. In case of a draw in the aggregate score of a series after 180 minutes in the quarter-finals or semi-finals stage, the team that finished higher in the table during the regular phase of the tournament, will advance to the next stage. In case of draw in the aggregate score of the final after 180 minutes, the teams will go directly to penalties to decide the champion. [1]
All home matches are streamed on ViX and Club América Femenil digital platforms (Youtube and Facebook). Selected matches may air on free-to-air channel El Nueve in Mexico.
Matches are streamed on Telemundo streaming platforms (Telemundo App, TelemundoDeportes.com, and Telemundo Deportes Youtube channel). Selected home matches are also televised on pay TV channel Universo in the US.
All Home matches are streamed on ViX and Tigres Femenil digital platform (Facebook), and are also broadcast in Mexico on pay TV network Afizzionados. Selected matches may air on free-to-air channel El Nueve in Mexico.
All home matches are shown on an ESPN-branded linear TV network and streamed via Star+ in Mexico, Central America and Dominican Republic, and streamed via Star+ in Spanish-speaking South America.
All home matches are streamed via the TVP account on Facebook.
Attendance
The attendance for the first regular season for the 16 teams was 307,202 for 112 matches, an average of 2,743 per match. The attendance for the 6 post-season matches was 104,804. The total attendance for 118 matches was 412,006, an average of 3,492 per match.[80]
The league has set various attendance records for women's club soccer. The Tigres vs. Monterrey final in May 2018 saw over 51,000 attendees; this occupied the top spot in the world for nearly a year. Prior to this match, Mexico's other finals and rivalry games had also set new records or made it into the top 10 attendance records.[81]
In November 2022, the league's previous highest attendance record set during the Clausura 2018 final between Monterrey and Tigres (51,211 attendees) was broken as the first match of the Apertura 2022 final between Tigres and Club América at Estadio Azteca was attended by approximately 52,654 fans.[38] The attendance record was once more broken during the second leg of the Clausura 2023 final between Club América and Pachuca after approximately 58,156 fans attended the match.[44]
^On 22 May 2020, Liga MX informed that the Clausura tournament in Liga MX and Liga MX Femenil was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with no title being awarded.[79]
