The infamous reputation belongs to Cruz Azul, yet they never sit alone on the list of near-mists in Mexican football history. There are chapters in the sport where names stay on the tip of every fan’s tongue, and others where memory fades. This story, while dominated by a few enduring clubs, is about the edge of glory and the long droughts that punctuate it.
Mexico’s top flight has two dominant pillars in the domestic landscape. Club America and Chivas have forged lasting legacies through countless finals and sustained success, though not every final ended in celebration. Their road is etched with triumphs and near misses alike, shaping a narrative of perseverance and high expectations. The truth is that even the celebrated squads like the Blue Cross and Atlas have tasted the bitterness of coming up short, and yet neither club unquestionably holds the record for the most runners-up finishes in their own histories. This is a broader look at the elusive goals that remained just out of reach for several storied teams.
Goal keeps a tally of the titles that stayed out of reach in the nation’s League and Cup races, as well as in international showdowns such as the Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, Concachampions, and the Copa Interamericana. The lens widens beyond domestic silverware to capture the global stage where some teams twice missed the mark, underscoring the persistent quest for continental and world recognition.
CHIVAS: 21 UNDER CHAMPIONSHIP
BLUE CROSS: 17 SUB-CHAMPIONSHIP
AMERICA: 13 SUB-CHAMPIONSHIP
Getty
National runners up
-
League titles missed: 1959-60, 1961-62, 1963-64, 1966-67, 1971-72, 1990-91, 2007, 2013 and 2016
- Cup final losses: 1945, 1976, 1991
International runners up
TOLUCA: 14 SUB-CHAMPIONSHIP
PUMAS: 12 UNDER CHAMPIONSHIP
- National runners up
- League titles missed: 1967-68, 1977-78, 1978-79, 1984-85, 1987-88, 2007, 2015, and Guardians 2020
- International runners up
- South American Cup: 2005
- Concacaf: 2005 and 2022
- Inter-American Cup: 1990
MONTERREY: 9 SUB-CHAMPIONSHIP
Which team will win the Clausura 2023 Liga MX
- Monterrey
- America
- Chivas
- Toluca
- Tigres
- Other
Votes cast: 22719
Source: Goal