Liga MX Apertura 2026 Liguilla standings, Digi Mart USA News: The penultimate matchday of the Liga MX regular season produced decisive results that reshuffled the top of the table and tightened the battle for the eight direct spots in the Cuartos de Final.
On Friday, Necaxa beat Tijuana 1-0 with a goal from Daniel Leyva, Juárez defeated San Luis 1-0 thanks to a penalty by Óscar Estupiñán, and Santos Laguna beat Atlante 2-0, taking a key step toward the final phase.
On Saturday, Cruz Azul took over the lead with a 3-2 win over Tigres at the Universitario, Toluca routed Monterrey 4-0, and Pachuca crushed Atlas 4-1. The Clásico Capitalino ended in a tense 2-2 draw between Pumas and América, with goals from Alejandro Zendejas, César Huerta, Henry Martín and Robert Morales.
Querétaro vs. Puebla and León vs.
Chivas remain to be played on Sunday. Based on current results, León (22 points with one game in hand) and Monterrey (21) are waiting on other results to fight for the cutoff.
Pachuca gained three vital points and is moving firmly into the playoff zone. It must avoid collapsing in the final matchday to secure its place among the top eight.
Tijuana lost to Necaxa and is on shaky ground. Its fate depends on its own results and on what León and Monterrey do to avoid dropping to ninth place.
León, with 22 points and a pending match, remains alive. A win or draw against Chivas on Sunday could put it into the Liguilla, while a defeat would leave it dependent on combinations of results.
Monterrey fell 4-0 to Toluca and now needs favorable results in its remaining matches, including the pending game against Querétaro, to fight for the eighth spot. A victory would immediately revive its hopes.
Pumas drew with América and have 21 points. They still have real chances but no longer control their own destiny, needing combinations involving four teams to reach the Liguilla.
Querétaro, with 20 points and a pending match, can still dream. A win over Puebla on Sunday and a strong finish would put it into the conversation for the eighth spot.
