The league system in Mexico has long sparked big surprises in Liga MX, and GOAL covers every one of them with keen insight and context.
The Apertura 2023 season began with the Liguilla in sight, as eight teams advanced into the knockout phase battles for the title. The Fiesta Grande of Mexican football loomed large, with Tigres defending the championship crown they earned in the prior campaign and aiming to sustain their grip on the trophy through every crucial match.
In the current campaign, Club America led the standings after the regular phase, finishing with an impressive tally and earning the top seed that allowed them to host many key matches at the iconic Azteca Stadium. That strong performance set expectations for a deep run, yet the drama of Liga MX soon reminded fans that nothing is guaranteed until the title is secured.
Yet not everything stays smooth for the traditional giants. The lore of the league includes a famous phenomenon known as the curse of the super leader, a narrative that has haunted the upper echelon when the season unfolds in unpredictable fashion. The question remains: what exactly is the curse of the super leader in Liga MX, and which teams managed to seal the deal while others faltered at that critical juncture?
To answer this, GOAL examines every notable season in which the overall leader in the standings reached the knockout stage only to be confronted by the eighth-placed team in the same tournament. The pattern has repeated itself across various campaigns, creating a compelling subplot to the national championship race.
THE TIMES WHEN THE LEADER FALLS OPPOSITE TO 8TH PLACE
In the annals of Liga MX history, there are countless moments that have tested the stability of top-seeded teams. It may seem unbelievable, but there have been 26 occurrences where the team that finished the regular season as the leader ultimately faced elimination at the hands of the eighth-placed squad. The most frequent antagonists behind these shocks have been America and Cruz Azul, each contributing multiple dramatic upsets that left fans stunned and the season rewritten in an instant. The record shows five collapses involving these two clubs when the calendar turned toward the decisive phase of the competition.
It is worth noting that, in some tournaments, the playoff format’s reseeding could lead to final standings that appear to favor the higher-ranked sides on paper, yet the eighth-placed team still served as the statistical benchmark used to analyze performance and potential. The real-life outcomes, however, tell a different story—one where the title chase pivots on a single moment, a single save, or a single goal that flips expectations on their head.
These episodes have become part of Liga MX folklore, illustrating that the league’s depth and parity can erase regular-season advantage in the blink of an eye. The curse, whether viewed as superstition or as a reminder of the league’s competitive balance, underscores the importance of consistency, tactical adaptability, and psychological endurance across the calendar year. The narratives around America, Cruz Azul, and other storied clubs continue to evolve as new seasons unfold, inviting fans to reexamine assumptions about seedings, form, and the unforgiving nature of knockout football [Goal].