The Apertura 2025 kicked off on Friday 11 July, with Necaxa’s home victory over Mazatlán and a draw between Querétaro and Santos Laguna in a match interrupted by heavy rain.
While the opening round featured several draws, it also delivered surprising blowouts, a solid debut from the reigning champions, Pachuca, and a feisty Clásico Joven in the capital.
Pumas shocked many with their performance against Monterrey. Meanwhile, Toluca, with their high-profile signings, began their campaign against Tigres.
Opening matchdays tend to be tricky, with teams still ironing out tactical details and building chemistry. It’s a transitional phase between the end of preseason and the start of competitive action, often marked by mistakes and low-scoring games.
Here’s a recap of Matchday 1:
Friday 11 July 2025
Querétaro 1-1 Santos Laguna
Played behind closed doors at CEGAR facilities, the match had a quiet first half with few chances, dominated by the visiting side. The game was halted for over 15 minutes due to heavy rain. Once the game got back underway, Santos struck first in the 76th minute through Celeste Guevara, but the home side responded with a dramatic equalizer in the 92nd minute, courtesy of Gaby Álvarez.
Necaxa 2-1 Mazatlán
Las Centellas took the lead just one minute into the match through Samantha Calvillo and remained dominant throughout. Their second goal came in the 60th minute, a stunning strike from María Acosta into the top corner. Mazatlán’s Sinoxolo Cesane pulled one back in the 81st minute, intensifying the final moments, but the home team held on for the win.
Saturday 12 July 2025
León 1-1 Tijuana
A match full of mistakes that felt like a preseason clash. Kassandra Ceja was a constant threat to León’s defense and opened the scoring in the 25th minute, but Ruth Bravo controlled the midfield for the home side, and new signing Luciana García converted a penalty in the 67th minute to leave both sides unsatisfied at the full-time whistle.
Juárez 1-1 Atlas
The third draw in four games of matchday one. Las Bravas took an early lead in the 33rd minute thanks to Jasmine Casarez. However, in the second half, Atlas responded through a penalty in the 56th minute, scored by Brenda Cerén.
Sunday 13 July 2025
Pumas 4-0 Monterrey
Las Rayadas stumbled heavily in their opener, while Pumas delivered a dominant performance. Monterrey looked uncoordinated, and every Pumas attack posed a threat. Ximena Ríos opened the scoring, Stephanie Ribeiro added a brace, and Alejandra Guerrero sealed the 4-0 rout. Pumas began the tournament on a high, winning their opener for the third straight season.
Puebla 1-5 Pachuca
The reigning champions made a strong statement with a commanding away win against a Puebla side struggling in several areas.
Myra Delgadillo opened the scoring for the visitors, and just a minute later, Nina Nicosio doubled their lead. Andrea Pereira added a third in the 30th minute, and just three minutes later, Charlyn Corral netted the fourth before halftime. Puebla’s Luisa de Alba pulled one back in the 41st minute, but Pereira scored again in the 86th to seal an emphatic victory for Las Tuzas as they begin their title defense in style.
Club América 2-1 Cruz Azul
The Clausura 2025 runners-up debuted on Sunday afternoon against Cruz Azul in the Clásico Joven. Las Águilas were the better side and reflected it on the scoreboard. Kiana Palacios scored early in the 11th minute to get the Apertura off to a strong start.
Cruz Azul had chances to equalize, but in the 83rd minute, América was awarded a penalty that Scarlett Camberos converted. Cruz Azul responded in stoppage time with a goal from Aerial Chavarin in the 92nd minute, but it wasn’t enough to avoid defeat, as América claimed all three points.
Atlético San Luis 0-2 Chivas
Chivas visited San Luis, determined to secure three points in their Apertura 2025 opener. From the very beginning, they pushed forward, as Alicia “Licha” Cervantes broke the deadlock within the first eight minutes.
Despite one goal being the difference for much of the game, Chivas dominated possession, while each San Luis attack raised concerns of a possible equalizer. Maximum points were sealed deep into added time when Cervantes netted her second to secure the win for Chivas.
Tigres 1 vs 1 Toluca
Las Amazonas are aiming for a record-breaking seventh title to further cement their status as the league’s most successful team, while Toluca arrived with exciting new signings. Tigres started the stronger, showing their class with the opening goal in the 18th minute from none other than Jennifer Hermoso.
On the other hand, internationally renowned French striker Eugénie Le Sommer made her Liga MX Femenil debut in style, scoring a stunning goal in the 75th minute to equalize the match and secure a draw against a very strong home side. Las Diablas start the tournament by picking up valuable points that could prove crucial as the season progresses.
With this match, matchday one came to an end; a weekend filled with draws, surprises, and exciting debuts that have sparked hope among fans.
Which was your favorite game of the opening weekend? Let us know!