Toluca captured the Torneo Apertura title with a dramatic victory over Tigres UANL, decided in a 12-round penalty shootout in the 2025 Liga MX final. After securing yet another trophy this year, Los Diablos Rojos joined an exclusive club in league history with the championship.
After a 1-0 loss in the first leg, Toluca were forced to mount a comeback at home on Sunday. The match initially swung in Tigres’ favor when club legend André-Pierre Gignac took a free kick in the 14th minute that deflected off Fernando Gorriarán and found the net, leaving the hosts needing two goals to force extra time.
Unwilling to go quietly, Toluca pressed forward and found a breakthrough in the 40th minute, when Helinho unleashed a thunderous strike to score the Red Devils’ first goal of the series. The Brazilian remained central to the comeback, providing a pinpoint cross from the right flank that Paulinho converted in the 52nd minute to level the aggregate score.
The match went the full 90 minutes, and despite chances at both ends during extra time, neither side could find a winner. The penalty shootout followed, with all 11 players taking a kick. Both goalkeepers, Luis García and Nahuel Guzmán, missed their attempts, and in the 12th round, Ángel Correa failed to convert. Alexis Vega then buried the decisive penalty to seal a historic title for Toluca.
Toluca players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Torneo Apertura 2025 Liga MX.
By winning the Apertura 2025, Toluca became just the fourth club to claim back-to-back Liga MX titles since the introduction of short tournaments in 1996. Previously, only Pumas UNAM, Club León, and Atlas had accomplished the feat, placing Toluca among an elite group in league history.
see also
Sergio Ramos’ next move after Monterrey in 2026 FIFA World Cup bid: Three European giants lined up or fairytale MLS link-up with Lionel Messi at Inter Miami?
Pumas UNAM were the first to achieve the milestone, asserting their dominance by winning both tournaments in 2004. León later joined them with titles in the Apertura 2013 and Clausura 2014, a run that Atlas replicated in the 2021 and 2022 editions. The next benchmark remains Club América, the only side to win three consecutive Liga MX titles, a feat Toluca will now aim to challenge in 2026.
Toluca reach No. 2 spot among Liga MX title winners
Since appointing Antonio “Turco” Mohamed as head coach in December 2024, Toluca have emerged as a powerhouse throughout the 2025 calendar year. The Clausura 2025 title came via a 2-0 victory over Club América, and the dramatic triumph over Tigres further elevated the club’s standing among Liga MX’s most successful teams.
With this latest championship, Toluca now sit on 12 league titles, tied with Chivas Guadalajara for the second-most in Liga MX history. Sitting at the top with a considerable difference are Las Aguilas del America, with 16 trophies.
Updated top-10 list of Liga MX winners
- Club América: 16 titles.
- Guadalajara: 12 titles.
- Toluca: 12 titles.
- Cruz Azul: 9 titles.
- Club León: 8 titles.
- Tigres: 8 titles.
- Pumas UNAM: 7 titles.
- Pachuca: 7 titles.
- Santos Laguna: 6 titles.
- Monterrey: 5 titles.
