Liga MX Liguilla Apertura 2026 Dates: Quarterfinals Nov. 25, Final Dec. 10-13

The Liga MX (Mexico’s top soccer league) Apertura 2026 Liguilla (playoffs) starts with quarterfinal first legs (ida) on Wed., Nov. 25 and Thu., Nov. 26, 2026, after the regular season ends with Jornada 17 on Sun., Nov. 22, according to Televisa Univision Deportes Network (TUDN) and Claro Sports; there is no Play-In this season. Liga MX’s own site, ligamx.net, shows the standings but no Liguilla calendar, so these dates rest on the two newsrooms, which agree.

Below: every round by date, the format, the top eight as of Nov. 1 and the one exception that can move the Final. A one-page printable calendar is included.

Liguilla Apertura 2026 dates, round by round

Each round has a first leg (ida) and a second leg (vuelta). Weekdays below are computed from the dates both newsrooms give.

Stage	Leg	Dates
Jornada 17 (last regular-season round)	Single match	Fri., Nov. 20 to Sun., Nov. 22
Quarterfinals (Cuartos de Final)	First legs	Wed., Nov. 25 and Thu., Nov. 26
Quarterfinals	Second legs	Sat., Nov. 28 and Sun., Nov. 29
Semifinals	First legs	Wed., Dec. 2 and Thu., Dec. 3
Semifinals	Second legs	Sat., Dec. 5 and Sun., Dec. 6
Final	Two legs	Thu., Dec. 10 to Sun., Dec. 13

Source: TUDN and Claro Sports, 2026. For the semifinals, TUDN says “between Dec. 2 and 6,” and Claro Sports lists Dec. 2, 3, 5 and 6, so the split into first and second legs is Claro Sports’. The regular season began on July 16, per TUDN. Mark the days on the November 2026 printable calendar and the December 2026 printable calendar.

Is there a Play-In in the Apertura 2026?

No. Claro Sports says “No, no hay Play In en el Apertura 2026,” and TUDN says the Play-In was eliminated, so only the best eight in the general table enter the Liguilla.

How does the Liguilla format work?

The top eight teams in the general table qualify. Claro Sports lists the quarterfinal pairings as 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5, each over two legs.

• In the quarterfinals and semifinals, a tie on aggregate goes to the team that finished higher in the table, per Claro Sports.
• The Final goes to extra time and penalties if it is tied, per Claro Sports.

Who would play whom if the season ended today?

These standings come from the Liga MX general table on ligamx.net, read the night of Nov. 1, 2026, before every Jornada 15 game was final. Jornadas 16 and 17 can change them, so this is a snapshot, not a bracket.

Seed	Club	Points	Quarterfinal pairing if unchanged
1	América	29	vs. No. 8 Santos Laguna
2	Guadalajara	29	vs. No. 7 León
3	Atlas	27	vs. No. 6 Tijuana
4	Cruz Azul	26 (14 games)	vs. No. 5 Toluca
5	Toluca	24	vs. No. 4 Cruz Azul
6	Tijuana	22	vs. No. 3 Atlas
7	León	22 (14 games)	vs. No. 2 Guadalajara
8	Santos Laguna	22	vs. No. 1 América

Source: Liga MX general table (ligamx.net), as of Nov. 1, 2026; pairings follow the 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5 format from Claro Sports. The ninth and tenth places hold 21 and 20 points, so the cut line is close.

Cruz Azul and León, both on 14 games in that table, played each other on Sun., Nov. 1 at 7:10 p.m. Mexico City time (8:10 p.m. Eastern Time (ET)) in Jornada 15, according to Claro Sports. This story does not state the result because it is not confirmed.

Can Toluca move the Final to December 24-27?

Yes. TUDN says the Final would be played Dec. 24-27 instead of Dec. 10-13 if Toluca reaches it, because Toluca plays in a Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) club competition starting Dec. 9. If Toluca is out, the Final stays on Dec. 10-13.

What time are Liguilla games, and what is the time difference?

Kickoff times are not yet announced; the league sets them after Jornada 17. U.S. broadcasters for each match are announced with the kickoff times, so none are listed here.

Mexico City does not observe daylight saving time. Since U.S. clocks fell back on Nov. 1, Mexico City is 1 hour behind ET, the same as Central Time (CT). A 7:10 p.m. kickoff in Mexico City is 8:10 p.m. ET.

Where else can I follow the soccer calendar?

The same weeks hold other schedules: see the Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup playoffs 2026 schedule, this weekend’s soccer on TV list with U.S. channels and the Champions League November 2026 schedule.