Zacatepec Fútbol Club, simplified as Zacatepec FC, is a Mexican professional football club based in Xochitepec, Morelos. It competes in Primera Premier, the main branch of the Liga Premier de México, the third tier of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at the Estadio Mariano Matamoros. Founded in 1948 as Club Social y Deportivo Zacatepec by workers of the Mexican sugar mill called Emiliano Zapata. Throughout its history it was also named as Promotora Deportiva Zacatepec SC, Zacatepec 1948, Zacatepec Siglo XXI and Club Atlético Zacatepec. The club was refounded in 2024 under its current name. Nicknamed Cañeros, their colors are white and green (from sugar and sugarcane, respectively). Their uniform color is a white shirt with a big green line in the middle and white shorts and socks.
Domestically, Zacatepec FC has won two Primera División titles, two Copa México titles and one Campeón de Campeones.
The head coach of Zacatepec during the 1950s was Ignacio Trelles, a former professional Mexican football player who became head coach of the Mexico national team in the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile and 1966 FIFA World Cup in England.
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History
The club dates back to the early 1920s and was formed by local farmers and co-op members that operated the local sugar mill.
It was not until 1948 when Rodrigo Ampudia del Valle along with the sugar mill's coop membership, including the mill's superintendent and its chief chemist Gustavo de la Parra, founded Club Social y Deportivo Zacatepec who from its foundation sought to play in the Primera División de México. A few years later, the club would go on to win important things in the national level and international level.
It was in 1951 when future manager Ignacio Trelles took over the club. In the 1951 Segunda División final they won, earning a promotion to the Primera División de México, taking over the spot left by Club San Sebastián de León who would never again return to the top division.
The club finished runner-up in 1953. In 1955, the club won its first league title, becoming the first club in the state of Morelos to achieve that, which made the locals celebrate in the streets thing that had no been seen before. The following year the club won the 1956–57 Copa México against León for the first time.
The club won the 1957 league title just ahead of Toluca once ageing under the care of Ignacio Trelles who would go on to win titles with other clubs in the league becoming one of the best managers in the league history. The following tournament the club finished third, 4 points behind runner-up León and 6 points behind Guadalajara who would go on to win the next 6 out of 7 titles from 1958 to 1965. The club would also go on to lose the 1957–58 Copa México to León.
In the following years the club struggled, finishing 10th in 1959–60 and 6th in 1960–61, and it was finally in 1961 when the club played its worst tournament, finishing last and being relegated to the Segunda División de México.
That club from the 1950s was one of the most successful in the club's history. The club played some importation international friendlies in the 1950s against some of the best clubs from around the world. The club defeated Nacional who had won the Campeón Mundial de Clubes and would also go on to beat Manchester United in a friendly game.
Stadium
The Agustín "Coruco" Díaz stadium is the home of Zacatepec. It was founded in November 1954. It was inaugurated by then president of Mexico Adolfo López Mateos. The stadium is nicknamed la selva cañera (the sugarcane jungle) due to Zacatepec's humid weather conditions.
Motto
Club Zacatepec's motto is "Hacer Deporte es Hacer Patria" which means doing sports is to be a patriot.
On March 23, 2013, the governor of Morelos announced the team would return to the Liga de Ascenso de México in August 2013, taking the place of Irapuato. Zacatepec was relegated just after its second season in the Ascenso MX, but bought Cruz Azul Hidalgo and relocated it to the city to be able to remain in the Ascenso MX for the Apertura 2014.
Past kits
Home
Home Kit white shirt with a green strip that runs across the chest with green shorts and white socks.
Away Kit green shirt with a white strip that runs across the chest with white shorts and green socks.
Third Kit white shirt with green strip that runs across chest white shorts and white socks.
Names
Club Social y Deportivo Zacatepec: (1948–2003, 2006) Original name of the club at its foundation.
Promotora Deportiva Zacatepec SC: (2007–2013) Name of the club founded by fans after the transformation of the previous Zacatepec into Socio Águila. It replaced the previous club until 2013, the year of Zacatepec's return, after which it continued to exist locally.
Zacatepec 1948: (2013–2014) Name assumed after the acquisition of the sporting rights of Irapuato.
Zacatepec Siglo XXI: (2014–2017) Name assumed after the acquisition of the sporting rights of Cruz Azul Hidalgo.
Club Atlético Zacatepec: (2017–2020) Name assumed after acquisition by Coras.
Zacatepec FC: (2024–present) Name assumed after the rebranding of Escorpiones Zacatepec F.C.
Season to season
Has played 27 Primera División tournaments last in 1985.
Has played 22 Segunda División tournaments last in Clausura 2013.
Has played 13 Liga de Ascenso tournaments last in Clausura 2020
Has played 8 Tercera División tournaments last in Clausura 2011.
Honours
Domestic
Notes
Players
Current squad
As of 5 September 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Managers
Ignacio Trelles (1950–51), (1954–58)
Guillermo Huerta (2013–2014)
Adrián Martínez (Interim) (2014)
Ignacio Rodríguez (2014–2015)
Joel Sánchez (2015)
Carlos Gutiérrez (2015–2017)
Marcelo Michel Leaño (2017–2018)
Alberto Clark (2018)
Ricardo Valiño (2018–2020)
Miguel Gutiérrez (2024)
Alfredo González Tahuilán (2025)
Rowan Vargas (2025–)
Reserves
Selva Cañera
The team competes in the Group VIII of the Tercera División de México, and also participated in the Liga de Nuevos Talentos of the Segunda División de México, finishing as champions in the Clausura 2014, defeating Santos de Soledad 7–3 on aggregate. In the Apertura 2014, it finished as runners-up, losing to Mineros de Fresnillo 7–0 on aggregate.
Zacatepec "B"
The team participated in the 2019–20 season of the Torneo de Filiales de la Liga TDP, it was not eligible for promotion.