There are tons of legendary players in Liga MX's history, here are the top 25 of the 21st century.
Liga MX is a league filled with personalities and living legends who can find those moments of magic that keep us watching.
It is a league that has a rich past. Before every big matchup, broadcasters roll grainy footage of the glory days. Some of the best players are long gone, but others are still playing each weekend in Liga MX as the league looks to keep its cultural and sporting relevance in a new age.
So, as we approach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, GOAL US is on hand to rank the top 25 best Liga MX players of the last 25 years:
Getty Images Sport25Gallito Vazquez
Still active, though in the second division of Mexico, José Juan "Gallito" Vázquez already is turning into a ‘streets remember’ player. Yet, there’s a reason Vazquez’s contributions won’t be forgotten by fans all over the country. The defensive midfielder helped León return to the top division and then was a key component to the back-to-back title wins by protecting a back line that included Rafa Marquez, Jonny Magallón, and “Nacho” Gonzalez.
That would make him a León legend, which he is, but he stayed at a high level after moving to Chivas and helping Matias Almeyda's team win the 2017 Clausura. Then, he won the league again as the central midfielder for Robert Dante Siboldi’s title-winning Santos Laguna squad.
AdvertisementAFP24Omar Bravo
After bursting onto the scene with six goals in the 2002 Apertura, Sinaloa native Omar Bravo became one of the most reliable goal-scorers for Chivas in the 21st Century. He helped the Rebaño Sagrado to the 2006 Apertura title and even was on the cover of the FIFA video game at the height of his fame.
While his career never quite lived up to the heights many hoped it would when he first started scoring, he also had highlights in 2010 when he scored five goals for Chivas during their run to the Copa Libertadores final – including setting up a goal for Marco Fabian and scoring a last-gasp answer to International’s late goal in the second leg in Porto Alegre. It was already too late, but Bravo’s place in history as a top player in Liga MX was secure.
Getty Images Sport23Jesus Corona
Just four players have played in more Liga MX matches in history than reliable shot-stopper Jesus Corona. Still active, he looks unlikely to catch any of the top four, but no matter how many more matches he starts he leaves as a legend of Cruz Azul and the league.
The backstop for many of ’s near-misses, Corona was able to celebrate finally breaking the 17-year title drought with Cruz Azul in the 2021 Clausura. He’ll forever be remembered for achieving more than 500 starts with Cruz Azul but he also made a mark in his native Guadalajara with stints at Altas, a stretch of more than 150 matches with Tecos and an odd loan that saw him play in both legs of Chivas’ 2005 quarterfinal win over Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores.
Getty Images Sport22Carlos Salcido
While much of Salcido’s success came with the Mexico national team or abroad where he represented PSV and Fulham, he also had impressive spells with Chivas in his native Guadalajara and with Tigres after returning from England.
The versatile defender won the league with both of those clubs, adding a Concacaf crown in 2018 with Chivas plus the Copa MX in the 2015 Apertura and 2017 Clausura. Beyond his play, his leadership was an asset in Liga MX and it carried over when he went abroad as well.