Liga MX approves Atlas and Mazatlán sales in multi-club ownership crackdown

Liga MX has taken a further step towards ending multi-club ownership after all 18 top-flight clubs approved the sales of Atlas and Mazatlán, a move that strengthens the league’s governance narrative for investors, sponsors and rights partners.The approvals, granted on April 23, support Liga MX’s plan to phase out structures where a single group controls multiple clubs in the same competition.Atlas will remain under Grupo Orlegi’s ownership until June 30, with Orlegi also owning Santos Laguna, according to the league’s position on the transaction.Mazatlán had been owned by Ricardo Salinas Pliego, the owner of broadcaster TV Azteca, and the sale would leave him controlling only Puebla once it is legally completed.The sales still require legal finalisation, leaving timing and closing conditions as the immediate operational variables for the clubs and the league.With Atlas and Mazatlán moving out of multi-club structures, Grupo Pachuca would remain the only ownership group with two Liga MX teams, León and Pachuca.The issue has already carried a material sporting and commercial consequence, after León were excluded from the last Club World Cup as a result of multi-club ownership rules.Liga MX has given club owners until summer 2027 to eliminate multi-club ownership across the competition, setting a clear compliance deadline that could accelerate additional deal activity.Previous movement has already reduced the number of multi-club groups, with Grupo Caliente selling Querétaro to US investors and now retaining only Tijuana.The Mazatlán transaction is also tied to a brand and market repositioning, with Atlante set to return to the top flight via the purchase after spending the last 12 years in Mexico’s second division.Atlante are one of Mexico’s historically significant clubs, with three league titles, and their top-flight return is expected to reshape commercial inventory in the league’s footprint as sponsors and broadcasters adjust to a different club identity.The broader strategic aim is to tighten competitive integrity and reduce conflicts of interest, while improving the league’s standing with international regulators and tournament organisers whose rules have become more restrictive on ownership models.Next steps centre on completion of the two sales and whether Liga MX can secure further divestments ahead of the 2027 deadline, with Grupo Pachuca’s position now the key remaining test case for the policy.