Toluca hero Alexis Vega is in this position for the second time. Once again he delivered. Toluca are once again champions of Liga MX.
In a penalty shootout that lasted for more than ten rounds, Vega defeated Toluca and Tigres to win the 12th Mexican Primera Division title.
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But the debate in Mexico began even before he took office. Do these two teams deserve to be called that after losing a combined three games in the regular season? Grandes?
Mexico has four historically great teams that are some of the most successful and supported throughout the years. Three of them (Club América, Cruz Azul and Pumas) are located in Mexico City, of which Chivas de Guadalajara also fits the bill. But Toluca’s win was Mexico’s second straight in the short-lived tournament and means the team will tie Chivas for second all-time in terms of league titles won. Toluca has won more titles than Cruz Azul or Pumas.
Had Tigres won a ninth Liga MX trophy, it would have been relegated to being a “small club” – and for much of the game, it certainly seemed that way. Yet few foreigners would consider the Tigers or crosstown rival Monterey a big team.
After all, Tigres increased their title chances by signing Angel Correa from Atletico Madrid this summer. He joins a team that has no doubts this Andre-Pierre Gignac and his team have won six league titles since the start of the campaign in 2011, reached the final four more times (including a defeat this season) and won the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time in 2020.
Monterrey, meanwhile, headed to the Club World Cup last summer under the guidance of Real Madrid legend Sergio Ramos, later added former Manchester United player Anthony Martial, and also boasts emerging Mexican stars such as centre-back Victor Guzman and midfielders Fidel Ambriz and Iker Fimbres.
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But look at the comments on any post celebrating Nuevo León’s achievements. They weren’t even accused of being “nouveau riche.” They were laughed at just because they were small.
Who decides who becomes the big shot? Generally, it is a powerful media commentator based in Mexico City. They rarely gave game time to teams from north of Monterrey, and even Toluca, about 40 miles west of the state of Mexico, was considered a provincial team rather than one of its own.
It’s time to change your mind.
Toluca has assembled a team with few weaknesses. The injured Vega returned for a late cameo in the second leg of the finals after missing more than a month with a hamstring injury two weeks before the end of the regular season. After the game, he noted that his physical condition was “not very good,” but he believed he avoided further deterioration of the injury by rushing back onto the court.
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But the Toluca academy product, who has returned after a miserable spell with Chivas and seems to have spent more time in town than on the training pitch, is so intent on helping his team become back-to-back champions that he says he never doubted the risky option. “This is a very important day for me, my family and the fans who have been with us,” he said.
Even without their playmaker, Toluca has seen others step up to fill the void. Top scorer Paulinho, who joined from Sporting Lisbon in the summer of 2024 and went on to win two league titles and three top scorer awards, is seeking a return to the Portugal national team ahead of the 2026 World Cup. In Vega’s absence, he has teamed up with Mexican midfielder Jesus Angulo and Brazilian winger Helinho to provide a spark for the attack.
Two-way midfielder Marcel Ruiz remains in Toluca, where he is one of their most important players, despite interest from clubs in the English Championship and Brazil’s top flight in the summer. Uruguayan defender Federico Pereira makes a difference at the back Diablos Rojos continue their work.
Their impressive manager Antonio Mohamed claimed a fifth Liga MX title, the first time he has won two with the same club. He won with Club America and has made stops at major stadiums. He worked with smaller teams to propel Tijuana to its first Liga MX title in 2012.
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“Let me enjoy this now. After that, we will have time to organize the team and get ready. Now, we have an end-of-year celebration period. Tomorrow is just to celebrate with the fans and then have a good rest,” Mohamed said as he left the Nemesio Diaz Stadium. “I’m happy. We’re the big guys now.”
Media commentators can continue to be dismissive of Toluca’s continued success. Fans of rivals can continue to add “too small” emojis to their Instagram comments. Toluca will be busy planning another parade, enjoying more championship celebrations and – after what Vega calls five or six days of partying – watching another title defense, another Liga trophy, and another piece of evidence that no matter the size of the market, it’s what they do on the pitch that matters.