Mexican clubs' bid to bring back promotion and relegation for this season has been declined by CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport)
Liga MX's Promotion and Relegation Suspension Upheld by Court of Arbitration for Sport
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal filed by six Mexican second-division clubs seeking the immediate reinstatement of promotion and relegation in the top-tier Liga MX. The decision means that the suspension of promotion and relegation in the Liga MX will continue for the 2025-26 season.
The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) originally introduced the suspension of promotion and relegation in the 2019-20 season during the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was made clear to the clubs at the time it was taken. The clubs that appealed, Atletico La Paz, Atletico Morelia, Cancun, Mineros de Zacatecas, Venados, and Leones Negros de la UdeG, believed that the FMF and some Liga MX clubs aim to make the suspension permanent, maintaining a closed league model similar to Major League Soccer in the United States.
However, the CAS Panel concluded that the FMF had always determined to suspend the system until the conclusion of the 2025-2026 season. The decision aligns with the agreement made in April 2020. Ten clubs initially joined the appeal, but four, Atlante, Cimarrones de Sonora, Alebrijes de Oaxaca, and Jaiba Brava, later withdrew.
The suspension of promotion and relegation in the Liga MX has been a contentious issue, with many arguing that it goes against the traditional principles of football. The six remaining clubs that appealed hoped to challenge the decision and restore the promotion and relegation system. However, the CAS ruling has now put an end to their hopes for the time being.
The League in question is the Liga MX, whose Mexican Football Federation (FMF) suspended promotion and relegation until the end of the 2025-26 season. It remains to be seen whether the FMF will reconsider its decision in the future or whether the league will continue as a closed system for the foreseeable future.
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