Club América Clinch 16th Liga MX title | OneFootball

Club América held on to a first-leg lead to secure a record-breaking 16th Liga MX title.

André Jardine's side headed to Monterrey with a 2-1 lead in front of a packed-out Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla, before heading north for the reverse fixture.

Prior to the showpiece event, Las Águilas claimed the 2023 Apertura title with a victory over Tigres in the final, followed by securing a second consecutive trophy by defeating city rivals Cruz Azul in the 2024 Clausura final.

Despite their dominance over the past year, Jardine's men appeared to have taken a dramatic downturn. During the regular season, they endured a heavy 4-1 defeat to Cruz Azul and conceded four goals against Toluca. Their inconsistent form left them finishing in 8th place, requiring a penalty shootout victory over Tijuana to secure a spot in the Liguilla.

In the quarterfinal, they faced Toluca once more but they got their revenge with back-to-back 2-0 wins to reach the final four where they would meet a familiar foe, Cruz Azul. The first leg ended goalless but a seven-goal thriller in the second leg saw Las Águilas reach yet another final, with the chance of glory.

In the final, América secured a narrow victory over Los Rayados in the first leg, giving them the advantage heading into the decisive match at the Estadio BBVA. While Monterrey boasted an impressive home record, they had also shown their attacking prowess in previous Liguilla rounds, netting five goals across the second legs against Pumas and Atlético de San Luis.

Despite Monterrey’s attacking threat, América extended their aggregate lead in the first half when Richard Sánchez unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike into the top corner, leaving Luis Cárdenas helpless in the Monterrey goal.

Monterrey needed two goals to end their five-year title drought, and the game highlighted the contrast between seasoned professionals and a team that had not lifted a league trophy since 2019.

The game came and went as Los Rayados failed to create significant chances, but they did get what they were searching for with five minutes left on the clock. Johan Rojos curled his effort towards the far post, meaning that Monterrey needed just one goal to end the reign of Las Águilas.

Moments later, as Monterrey pushed for a winning goal, their best chance came from a Sergio Canales corner that found the head of Sebastián Vegas. His header was directed towards goal, but Luis Malagón sprang into action, with the Mexican international producing a crucial save to deflect the ball onto the post.

The final few minutes brought to an end the 2024 Liga MX Apertura as Club América were crowned champions.

This means that they extend the record to 16 Liga MX titles, the best of any team in the country. Additionally, they have lifted all of the last three titles in Mexico.