How Mexico's 2026 World Cup Roster Shakes Up the Liga MX Playoff Race

The Liga MX Clausura 2026 has eight clubs competing to be crowned champions of Mexican football. However, several teams must contend with notable absences, with Mexico's 2026 World Cup preparations being the primary cause.

Within 48 hours of the Clausura 2026 regular season wrapping up, Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre unveiled a 12-man squad of Liga MX players set to join El Tri's 2026 World Cup roster.

Ten of those selected by Aguirre are from Liga MX clubs currently competing in the Clausura 2026 playoffs. However, as was agreed before the season began, these 10 players will sit out the playoffs and instead joined El Tri's training camp when Mexico's World Cup preparations kicked off on May 6.

Consequently, several of Liga MX's finest talents are absent for the most crucial stage of the season, leaving their clubs scrambling to find adequate cover for the missing players.

That said, some clubs have been hit considerably harder than others.

Liga MX Playoff Teams Most Affected By Mexico World Cup Roster

Mexico National Team Players That Will Miss Liga MX Clausura 2026 Playoffs

Gabriel Milito's Chivas have been gutted by Aguirre and El Tri, with the Argentine manager now needing to replace five players—far more than any other club—heading into the playoffs. Chivas finished as runners-up on goal difference, yet they were undeniably the most consistently impressive side throughout the campaign.

Between the team's outstanding performances under Milito and their well-known tradition of fielding only Mexican players, Los Rojiblancos became the primary source of talent for El Tri in 2026. Chivas can take pride in once again forming the backbone of Mexico's World Cup squad, but there is no escaping the fact that their hopes of claiming a 13th Liga MX title have been severely undermined.

Back-to-back defending champions Toluca are the second most affected side. With left back and skipper Jesús Gallardo and creative force Alexis Vega both absent, Antonio Mohamed will need to patch together a makeshift left side for the playoffs. Nevertheless, Los Diablos Rojos have capable alternatives and plenty of other match-winners, and the situation could have been far worse had Marcel Ruiz or Everardo López also been called up.

The three Mexico City giants—Club América, Cruz Azul and Pumas—are the only other clubs affected by Aguirre's selections, each losing a single player. América must manage without first-choice centre back Israel Reyes, while Cruz Azul will be deprived of versatile midfielder-cum-centre back Erik Lira.

Top-seeded Pumas, however, will feel confident about covering for powerful striker Guillermo Martínez, considering he started just three of the 17 regular season matches.

The Three Liga MX Playoff Teams Not Impacted By Mexico World Cup Roster

Pachuca, Atlas and Tigres are the three Clausura 2026 playoff sides that will enter the postseason at full strength, unaffected by Aguirre's selections.

Atlas possess a modest squad, but Diego Cocca's team are defensively solid and will be looking to eliminate Cruz Azul after suffering a narrow 3–2 defeat in the first leg of their quarterfinal clash.

Pachuca, meanwhile, never anticipated losing any players, as their foreign contingent forms the core of their championship ambitions. With ex-Chelsea man Kenedy, Venezuelan international Salomón Rondón and Ecuador's all-time top scorer Enner Valencia spearheading their attack, Pachuca will fancy their chances against Toluca.

Yet no team benefited more from the draw than Tigres. Not only did Aguirre leave out key starters Jesús Angulo and standout winger Diego Lainez, but they also get to face a weakened Chivas side in the quarterfinals. Having reached the final last season, the stars appear to have aligned for Tigres to go all the way in the Clausura 2026.