Liga MX faces antitrust probe over closed-league structure

Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission has opened a formal investigation into possible anti-competitive practices in professional football, increasing regulatory pressure on Liga MX’s closed competition model.The probe covers affiliation, organisation and access to professional football competitions and related services, with particular attention on the elimination of promotion and relegation between Liga MX and Liga de Expansión.The system was suspended in 2020 as part of measures introduced during the pandemic, with promotion and relegation initially expected to return after six seasons.Liga MX instead confirmed ahead of Apertura 2026 that the mechanism would not be reinstated under its regulations.The regulator said it had identified sufficient evidence to investigate whether companies or institutions may have abused market power within Mexican professional football.That creates a potentially significant financial and structural risk for the league. If violations are established, responsible parties could face fines of up to 10% of annual revenue as well as orders to end or modify anti-competitive conduct.The sector generated more than MXN52bn, around US$2.8bn, in 2024 and supports approximately 150,000 jobs annually, underlining the scale of the market now under examination.The investigation also places broader scrutiny on the concentration of ownership and broadcasting influence that has historically shaped Liga MX.Mexican competition authorities previously fined 17 clubs and the national federation MXN177.6m in 2021 over monopolistic practices.The latest action also overlaps with separate legal efforts by Liga de Expansión clubs seeking the restoration of promotion.Leones Negros, Cancún, Atlético Morelia, Atlético La Paz and Mineros are awaiting a Court of Arbitration for Sport decision, while a Mexican court has also admitted a constitutional challenge examining the legality of the current federation regulations.The commercial stakes extend beyond competition format.A permanently closed Liga MX offers greater revenue certainty and protects incumbent club valuations by removing relegation risk, but it also restricts access for ambitious second-tier clubs and potentially changes the investment case across the pyramid.A ruling forcing the return of promotion and relegation would therefore reshape sporting access, franchise values and long-term capital allocation across Mexican football.The CNA investigation is now running alongside the CAS and domestic legal processes, creating multiple routes through which Liga MX’s closed-league structure could be challenged.