Liga MX 2021 Apertura Schedule: matches, format, teams and how to watch in the US

A new tournament is coming up and paints to be special for the possible return of fans to all stadiums. After the pandemic deprived us of going to the stadium to cheer on our favorite team, Liga MX is already preparing what will be the new First Division tournament.

With their sights set on the next Mexican soccer tournament, each of the participating clubs has already started and aims to give their best to try to achieve glory at the end of the season. Thus, teams such as América, Cruz Azul or Tigres are already counting the days for the restart of activity in Mexico with the possible return of the fans in between.

That said, many have questioned when the 2021 Apertura of the MX League will really start, since in the middle of this tournament the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and the Gold Cup will be held, events in which the Mexican team will participate and for which Jaime Lozano and Gerardo Martino have called up some local players.

Given this, the first three days of the Apertura 2021 will be played without Mexican teams, so no match can be postponed. When does the tournament start? Well, the exact date for the restart of Mexican soccer is July 22, the same that was chosen by consensus in the Assembly of Owners that took place a few days ago.

Finally, in addition to the new format approved for this Apertura, it is worth remembering that the promotion and relegation in Mexican soccer is suspended for at least three years, which means that the same eighteen teams that were in the Guardians will participate in the July tournament. 2021, unless some extraordinary case happen.

Liga MX 2021 Playoffs: Format

The best twelve teams of the regular season standings have qualified for the big party. The first four secured a quarterfinal spot, while sides seeded from five through twelve took part in a preliminary, one-legged round. From quarterfinals onwards, the series have home and away matches, handing the best-ranked teams the advantage of playing the rematch at home.

Liga MX 2021 Playoffs: Teams

Cruz Azul, Club America, Puebla, and Monterrey earned a place in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the teams who have qualified for the Wild Card round were Santos, León, Atlas, Pachuca, Chivas, Tigres, Toluca, and Querétaro. In the Wild Card weekend, Atlas beat Tigres, Pachuca saw Chivas off, Santos defeated Queretaro, and Toluca knocked León out. Cruz Azul, Pachuca, Puebla, and Santos Laguna, went on to progress to the semifinals, before the Guerreros and La Máquina booked their ticket to the grand final of the tournament.

Liga MX 2021 Playoffs: Rules

- The team with more goals on aggregate wins the series and advances.

- The away goals rule applies in the quarter and semifinals, but not in the final.

- In quarterfinals and semifinals, if the two sides are tied on aggregate and away goals, the highest-ranked in the regular-season table moves forward. 

- In the final, if the two teams are tied on aggregate, the second leg would have an extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out.

- The team with more goals on aggregate wins the series and advances.

- The away goals rule applies in the quarter and semifinals, but not in the final.

- In quarterfinals and semifinals, if the two sides are tied on aggregate and away goals, the highest-ranked in the regular-season table moves forward. 

- In the final, if the two teams are tied on aggregate, the second leg would have an extra time and, if necessary, a penalty shoot-out.