Liga MX's Record-Breaking Departures: The 10 Most Lucrative Player Exits That Shook Mexican Football

While Liga MX may not command the same global recognition as other premier leagues, Mexico's premier division has gradually evolved into a talent pipeline for European football and other financially robust competitions seeking to strengthen their squads.

Throughout the last ten years, numerous domestic and foreign players who have excelled in Liga MX have successfully transitioned to Europe, generating substantial transfer revenues upon their departure.

Pachuca, renowned for their exceptional youth development system, and Club América, supported by their storied history of nurturing Mexico's finest talent, stand as the two organizations with the most international departures commanding significant transfer valuations. Nevertheless, additional clubs are progressively adopting similar approaches.

This week, former Monterrey standout Nelson Deossa joined the ranks of Liga MX exports. After an impressive showing in the 2025 Club World Cup, Deossa secured a move to Real Betis in La Liga for a package potentially reaching $16 million.

Deossa has now earned his place among the top five most valuable outgoing Liga MX transfers in history. From the early 2010s onward, as global transfer valuations skyrocketed exponentially, Mexico's top division has kept pace with this trend.

Below are the top 10 most valuable outgoing transfers in Liga MX history.

The Top 10 Most Expensive Outgoing Transfers in Liga MX History

*Transfer fees include add-ons. All transfer fees according to Apuntes de Rabona.

Maximiliano Araújo showcased his abilities with Uruguay during the 2024 Copa América and attracted interest from Portuguese giants Sporting CP. The club, under Ruben Amorim's guidance at the time, secured Araújo's services from Toluca for $20 million, establishing him as Liga MX's most expensive outgoing transfer to date.

As noted earlier, Club América has demonstrated excellence in player sales abroad, claiming five positions within the top 10 rankings. Las Águilas capitalized on current Mexico national team skipper Edson Álvarez in 2019 when he embarked on his European journey with Ajax in the second-highest departure fee from Mexico's premier league.

Diego Lainéz followed this pattern just weeks afterward, securing his move to Real Betis. Both Lainez and Álvarez traced the path of fellow América academy product Raul Jiménez. The established Premier League forward's initial European venture occurred in 2014, departing América for Atlético Madrid.

América also stands as the sole team featuring players who departed Liga MX for destinations beyond Europe. Last summer, following consecutive Liga MX championship victories, Julián Quiñones joined Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at Saudi Pro League club Al Qadasiya. In a similar fashion, Christian Benítez departed Las Águilas after a championship campaign in 2013, moving to the now-defunct Qatari team El Jaish SC. Tragically, the former Ecuador striker participated in only one match in Qatar before his sudden and untimely death.

Enner Valencia rounds out the top three behind Araújo and Álvarez. Pachuca transferred him to West Ham United in 2014 after a Liga MX Golden Boot campaign and an outstanding 2014 FIFA World Cup performance with Ecuador.

Pachuca academy products Hirving Lozano and Héctor Herrera complete the top 10 list. Both talents departed Los Tuzos as promising youngsters in the mid-2010s and subsequently captured league championships across various European competitions.

This week, Deossa joined this exclusive group as the newest addition and the first Colombian representative, while also marking Monterrey's inaugural appearance among Liga MX's most profitable outgoing transfers in history.