Sports · Football · 2 hrs ago
Joel Huiqui is the only Mexican coach assured of a place in Liga MX's playoffs
Cruz Azul beat León 2-1 and qualified for the quarter-finals of Mexico's Apertura 2026 tournament.
Coach Joel Huiqui is the only Mexican coach currently assured of a playoff place.
Six of the league's 18 coaches are Mexican, but three of the others have already been eliminated and two still have a chance to qualify.
Huiqui took charge of Cruz Azul late in the previous tournament and led the team to the title; this is his first full Liga MX season as a head coach.
He says his players share credit for the team's success, which includes six straight matches without a loss.
Cruz Azul is level on 29 points with América and Chivas and has two regular-season matches left to try to finish first.
The team next visits Tigres and then Chivas before the playoffs begin.
Joel Huiqui is the only Mexican coach assured of a place in the Liga MX Apertura 2026 playoffs.
His Cruz Azul team secured a quarter-final spot by beating León 2-1 in Jornada 15.
Huiqui is in his first full Liga MX tournament as a head coach, after leading Cruz Azul to the playoffs and the title in the Clausura 2026.
Five other Mexican coaches began the Apertura 2026, but three have been eliminated and two remain in contention.
Cruz Azul has two regular-season matches left and is level on 29 points with América and Chivas.
- Who
- Joel Huiqui, head coach of Cruz Azul.
- What
- He is the only Mexican coach assured of a place in the Liga MX playoffs.
- When
- The report was published on November 6, 2026, ahead of Jornada 16 and 17.
- Where
- Liga MX, Mexico.
- Why
- Cruz Azul secured a quarter-final place by beating León 2-1 in Jornada 15.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Huiqui took charge of Cruz Azul late in the tournament, replacing Nicolás Larcamón, and led the team to the playoffs and the title.
Cruz Azul beat León 2-1 to secure a place in the quarter-finals.
Cruz Azul is scheduled to visit Tigres for Jornada 16.
Cruz Azul is scheduled to visit Chivas for Jornada 17.
- Cruz Azul's result
- 2-1 win over León
- Playoff status
- Cruz Azul has secured a quarter-final place
- Points
- Cruz Azul, América and Chivas each have 29
- Mexican coaches
- Six of 18 coaches in Apertura 2026 are Mexican
- Remaining fixtures
- Tigres on November 7 and Chivas on November 22
What people are saying
Obviously, we all know there are few Mexicans coaching in the league, that is a reality, but it seems to me there is also a lot of quality among the foreigners who come to coach in Mexico. They have contributed a lot and it is a competition.
Just as players compete for a place on teams, coaches also compete for a place in the Mexican league.
I feel happy because we have been putting our playing idea into practice at the club, on the pitch, in training and in the matches themselves. Our players have adopted it, and it is something we share. It probably would have been more complicated for me without these players.
The team has something very important, which is that hunger to keep competing, and it is clear in their minds that once we are all there ...