Mexican Senate advances bill to restore Liga MX promotion and relegation

Mexico’s Senate is moving toward legislation that would require sporting merit to guide national sports associations, potentially forcing Liga MX to restore promotion and relegation. The proposal, led by Movimiento Ciudadano Sen. Clemente Castañeda and backed by lawmakers including Morena’s Ignacio Mier, follows Liga MX’s 2020 suspension of the system during the COVID-19 pandemic and its failure to reinstate it after the planned five-year pause. Second-division clubs have protested the continued closed structure, arguing that it limits opportunities for teams, players and staff, while the Mexican Football Federation has said the economic conditions for reinstatement do not yet exist. Liga MX and Mexican soccer officials declined invitations to participate in the legislative effort, and the federation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.