Liga MX Officially Eliminates Promotion and Relegation in New 2026-2027 Competition Regulations

The Mexican Football Federation formalizes Article 35, shutting down sporting mobility and scraping multi-million dollar penalties for bottom-placed clubs.

Photo: Imago7

The long-standing debate surrounding the competitive structure of Mexican football has reached an administrative conclusion. Just hours before the kickoff of the Apertura 2026 tournament, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) officially published the Liga MX Competition Regulations for the 2026-2027 season. Crucially, Article 35 of the document confirms the permanent suspension of promotion and relegation between the first division and the second-tier Liga de Expansión MX.

The updated rule reads: "Derived from the agreement made by the Executive Committee of the FMF, starting from the 2026-2027 Season, the clubs that integrate Liga MX will not be relegated to Expansión MX; likewise, those from Expansión MX will not be promoted." By implementing this permanent structural freeze, the FMF has disregarded previous recommendations made by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Although the CAS had ruled in favor of the federation in late 2025 following legal challenges from second-tier clubs, the international sports tribunal had expected the reinstatement of a merit-based promotion system for the 2026-2027 cycle.

Beyond shutting down sporting pathways for historical franchises such as Leones Negros, Cancún FC, and Correcaminos, the updated legal framework also restructures the financial landscape for bottom-tier teams. The previously established fines—which forced the bottom three teams in the percentage table to pay 80, 47, and 33 million pesos respectively—have been entirely omitted from the new documents. The percentage table will remain active solely for statistical purposes, leaving bottom-placed clubs with zero sports or financial penalties.

These developments establish Liga MX as a fully closed franchise-based system, similar to North American models, where acquiring existing franchises remains the only entry route into the top flight. This shift was demonstrated by Atlante, who secured their return to the first division for this campaign after purchasing the franchise rights of the now-defunct Mazatlán FC, rather than winning promotion on the pitch. Atlético de San Luis remains the last club to earn promotion to Liga MX on sporting merit, while Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz stands as the last team officially relegated back in the 2018-2019 season.