In a beautifully chaotic league like Liga MX, success is never a given for even the best decision-makers in Mexican soccer. No team can attest to that more than Sunday’s winners of the 2025 Clausura title, Toluca.
A $1.5 billion peso ($78 million) investment in the 2017 remodel of their historic Estadio Nemesio Díez, splashing big cash on marquee figures from abroad and at home, such as the return of Mexico international Alexis Vega, setting up the first player care department in the league — these are all signs of what should otherwise be a powerhouse in Liga MX. But for Toluca, who are third all time in league titles with 11 in total now, that wait for another championship took 15 years.
“The club we have deserves it,” said full back Jesús Gallardo ahead of the final. “The owner, the fans.”
Equally stunning as it is cruel, the parity of Liga MX consistently delivers unexpected twists and turns that regularly emerge in the short-season format that also features a knockout-round playoff stage. Even with Club América‘s latest dominance in the previous three seasons, seven different teams lifted Liga MX’s title between 2019 and 2024. As for Toluca, who seemed to be making all the right steps, there were no trophies to be had, only close calls.
Before defeating América 2-0 on aggregate in the two-legged championship series, which was guided by a goal and assist from Vega, Toluca had emerged empty-handed after qualifying for finals in 2012, 2018 and 2022.
“I’ve been thinking about that moment every night,” Vega said before the final of the prospect of finally lifting a title. “It’s an opportunity that we’ve been looking for for a long time, for 15 years, and now that we have this great chance, it motivates us a lot.”
And as unpredictable and wild as Liga MX can be, Sunday’s title was no fluke for the top-of-the-table Toluca. On the other end of the sideline in the final series, even América manager Andre Jardine knew earlier in the season that Toluca would have a good chance of bringing home a championship in 2025.
Following a 3-0 March victory at home against Los Diablos Rojos, which would be just the second loss of the visitors’ season, Jardine was still so impressed by the opposition that he told Toluca head coach Antonio Mohamed, “We’ll see each other again in the final” after the result. Despite the defeat for Toluca, looking back at that match, it was noteworthy to see key names like Vega, Gallardo, striker Paulinho and midfielder Marcel Ruiz, who maintained their high level of energy and drive, regardless of the negative scoreline.
Months later in last week’s final that saw a rematch of Toluca with the title holders, those same names earned their chance at redemption, and none seemed more galvanized than Vega.
Earning an assist off a corner for a 65th minute goal from Luan, Vega would later step up with a pivotal game-changing penalty in the 82nd minute that secured an 11th title for Los Diablos Rojos. Racing toward supporters and pointing to the stands, the moment was years in the making for the club’s prodigal son that left for Chivas in 2019, but has since returned as a reawakened leader in the past 17 months.
“I returned home with one goal, which was to lift the trophy,” Vega said after the match. “Lifting it as captain, I think that was something amazing.”
With a smirk on his face, the 27-year-old also noted that he’ll celebrate without much sleep for “three, four, five days,” but as for his immediate goal after a few days off: “The [Mexican] national team.”
While Toluca’s die-hards are clearly the most joyful group of supporters from last week’s outcome, Mexico fans (perhaps not from the América cohort) likely will see Toluca’s accomplishment as welcome news for El Tri. In an era in which the national team has needed its own reawakening in recent years, Vega is an important part of a restructuring that is being overseen by manager Javier Aguirre.
And Vega isn’t alone either ahead of the summer’s Gold Cup.
Well-rounded and capable of tirelessly supporting both the defense and attack in the heart of the XI, the 24-year-old Ruiz appears ready to finally become an important part of Mexico’s midfield this summer. Behind him as the left back, the once-maligned Gallardo is enjoying a career renaissance as a go-to starter for Aguirre with El Tri.
Through this spine and with the agile and technical Vega on the wings, Mexico have a recipe for success that can replicate what Toluca have done in the Clausura.
Like Liga MX, there’s also a similar level of beautiful chaos within a national-team structure that is capable of playing world-class soccer, but also not living up to expectations. The same could be said for Vega, whose detractors would be quick to point that he hasn’t fulfilled his on-the-field obligations for country in the same manner that he has recently done for club.
That seems to be changing, though, and if Toluca have finally figured themselves out in 2025, it isn’t out of the question that their momentum carries over to the national team in their last competitive set of matches before co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
