Liga MX's participation in the 2025 Club World Cup has been marked by sharp contrasts. On one hand, Monterrey once again elevated the league’s profile on the international stage - particularly in Europe, where Liga MX often goes under the radar. Rayados advanced to the Round of 16 undefeated in Group E, a group that included Champions League runners-up Inter Milan, Argentine giants River Plate, and Urawa Reds, winners of the 2022 AFC Champions League.
Coach Domènec Torrent highlighted the significance of the moment: “This is about showing the world that we can compete,” he said. “We can’t slow down now. We have three or four days to fully prepare for the next match [vs. Borussia Dortmund]. This tournament is an excellent platform to show who Monterrey really is.”
On the flip side, Pachuca endured a nightmare campaign. Despite taking the competition seriously - going so far as to make six summer signings -their results were the opposite of what they had envisioned. The Tuzos were one of five teams in the tournament to exit without a single win. Group H was tough, featuring European heavyweights Real Madrid, Austria's Red Bull Salzburg, and Saudi Arabia’s big-spending Al Hilal, but Pachuca still ended up bottom of the group, with zero points.
Worse yet, they were the only one of the eight Latin American clubs in the tournament to finish without a point. After the 2-0 loss to Al Hilal, coach Jaime Lozano admitted: “Our biggest issue was finishing. We had chances in every game, but we weren’t clinical enough. That was the constant problem.”
“This result leaves a bitter taste for everyone - players, fans, everyone involved,” he added.
And then there's Club América, who failed to even reach the group stage, losing their Play-In match against LAFC. That opportunity had opened up after Club León was disqualified due to FIFA’s rules on multi-ownership.
So far, Monterrey have done Liga MX proud, but if you weigh Torrent’s side against Pachuca’s collapse, América’s failure to qualify, and León’s administrative mess, it’s fair to say Mexican football has come away with a mixed and somewhat tarnished image on the global stage.
GOAL reflects on how each Liga MX team fared throughout the opening stage of the competition, looking at their top performer and more as the knockout rounds of the competition loom.
