With the World Cup fever coming down and league games starting to get the spotlight, the problems we missed are coming to light. Mexican Football is facing a major problem because players are not happy with the owners, and they are now protesting on the pitch.
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“Mexican football has a rebellion on its hands,” reported NextMex. “Liga de Expansión players continue to unite against Liga MX owners, demanding the return of promotion and relegation… Without promotion, clubs lose ambition, investment slows, and young players lose opportunities to grow. Mexican football needs promotion and relegation back.”
Mexican football made great strides during the World Cup, but the battle in the league between the players and the owners has reached a breaking point. Players across Liga de Expansión have started a protest against the elimination of promotion and relegation. And the players are making their feelings very clear about this.
During the opening minute between Mineros and Correcaminos, the players protested against the Liga MX owners by simply passing the ball around and not making any move.
The main reason for the protest is that promotion and relegation were due to return for the 2026-27 season. Instead, Liga MX just confirmed it’s gone for good. The suspension started in the 2020 season after COVID-19 affected everything, and to help struggling clubs financially, the system was suspended. Liga MX also introduced annual compensation payments for second division clubs while promotions were suspended.
Now, the initial promise has slowly faded away as Liga MX owners have chosen a very different direction for its future. League officials and owners believe that permanent membership for clubs is a better step because it will have better financial stability and attract greater investment.
They also want governance reforms, including centralized television rights and stricter ownership rules, to strengthen Liga MX at a commercial level. Those plans have left second division clubs feeling that playing well and winning games don’t even matter anymore.
That decision has pushed several club owners in the second division to challenge the Mexican Football Federation with legal action.
Atlético La Paz owner Arturo Lomeli joined other Liga de Expansión clubs in taking the dispute to CAS. Although CAS rejected their appeal, it said that teams should respect the original timetable for restoring promotion and relegation.
With legal efforts falling short, players have now carried the same message onto football pitches through peaceful match protests.
