Liga MX is set to reinstate promotion and relegation with the conditions of the format and date of return to be announced soon by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The Mexican league suspended promotion and relegation in 2019 for six seasons, seeing the first division maintain 18 teams for the period. Now, it’s expected to return sometime in 2026 under different requirements that could see second division teams once again play in Liga MX.
Originally, ten clubs from Liga de Expansion sought for the reinstatement of promotion and relegation by filing a case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
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“The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) registered the appeal filed by 10 clubs in the Mexican second division (“the Clubs”) against the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) on May 19, 2025. The appeal seeks to reinstate promotion and relegation in Liga MX, Mexico’s first division, which were suspended for six seasons during the 2019/2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” reads the organization’s statement.
The case was filed in 2024 and went through the due process of CAS.
“The parties are exchanging written arguments in accordance with the arbitration rules governing CAS appeal proceedings. Following this process and with the agreement of the parties, a CAS hearing will be scheduled,” the press release states.
CAS is set to announce tomorrow a decision on the format and requirements needed for a Liga de Expansion team to qualify for promotion, sources confirmed to ESPN. Previously, the league demanded that second division teams obtain a special certification that would grant them the possibility of being promoted to Liga MX if they won the tournament.
In order to complete the certification, teams needed to prove financial stability, an adequate 30-000 venue to use for matches, a business report conducted by an external consultant and an economic fund for improvements.
It remains unknown how the requirements for promotion will change due to the decision made by CAS. The court is also set to confirm if promotion and relegation will return for the 2025-2026 season or ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Liga MX officials will also continue analyzing the possibility of increasing the first division from 18 teams to 20, giving more teams the opportunity to be promoted, sources confirmed to ESPN.
