La Primera División de México (Mexican First Division) is the premier The striker (wearing red jersey) has run past the defender (in white jersey) and is about to take a shot at the goal, while the goalkeeper positions himself to stop the ball. Football is the most widely played and watched team sport in the world. The game is often known... football championship established by the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación (F.M.F.) (English: Mexican Football Federation). The league currently consists of eighteen teams. The First Division is a successor of the Liga Mayor (Major League) that was established in 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. Events January January 4 - End of term for Culbert Olson, 29th Governor of California. He is succeeded by Earl Warren. January 11 - The United States and United Kingdom give up territorial rights in China. January 11 - General Juanto dies in Argentina - Ramon... 1943.

The Amateur Era

Prior to the Liga Mayor, football was disputed within geographical regions. The winners of the Primera Fuerza, a local league consisting of teams near and around Mexico City (Spanish: Ciudad de México) is the federal capital of and largest city in Mexico. It geographically spans the Distrito Federal (D.F.) and part of the state of México to the north of the Federal District. Mexico City is the largest city in North America and... Mexico City, were considered national champions. There were other regional leagues such as the Liga Veracruzana, Liga Occidental and Liga del Bajio that also had notable clubs. Many club owners were not keen on the idea of establishing a professional league, despite paying players under the table. With the increasing demand of football, there was a sense of urgency to unite all the local amateur leagues in The United Mexican States or Mexico ( Spanish: Estados Unidos Mexicanos or México; regarding the use of the variant spelling Méjico, see section The name below) is a country located in North America, bordered to the north by the United States of America, to the southeast by... Mexico to progress as a footballing nation. The national league was finally established in 1943.

The Professional Era

When the F.M.F. announced the formation of the nation's first professional league, many clubs petitioned to join the newly formed league. The F.M.F. announced that ten clubs would form the Liga Mayor. The first members of the league were founded by six clubs of the Primera Fuerza of Mexico City, two clubs from the Liga Occidental (Western league) and two members from the Liga Veracruzana (Veracruz League).

Founding Members
Primera Fuerza: Club de Futbol América, also known as Club América or simply América, is a Mexican professional football club. América plays in the Primera División de México. The team is one of the most popular football clubs in Mexico... America, Asturias, Categories: Football (soccer) stubs | Mexican football clubs ... Atlante, España, Marte and Moctezuma
Liga Occidental: Club de Futbol Atlas, also known as Atlas, is a Mexican professional football club. Atlas plays in the Primera División de México. The clubs home stadium is Estadio Jalisco, which is also the home venue for Chivas de Guadalajara. Honours Amateur Era League Championships: 1... Atlas and Club Deportivo Guadalajara, also known as Guadalajara and usually referred to by its nickname Chivas, is a Mexican professional football club. Guadalajara plays in the Primera División de México and it is one of the most popular and successful teams in that league. Their main rivals are Club... Guadalajara
Liga Veracruzana: A.D. Orizabeño and Categories: Football (soccer) stubs | Mexican football clubs ... Veracruz

Expansion was evident as popularity increased. This popularity led to the league expanding the number of team participating. The F.M.F. changed the name of the Liga Mayor in Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. The Republic of China severs diplomatic relations with Britain in response. January 9 - The Israeli government recognizes the... 1950 to Primera División and established the Segunda División (Second Division).

Reformation

Throughout the late Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. See History of nuclear weapons Sputnik, the first man-made satellite, and thus the Sputnik crisis The De Havilland Comet enters service as the worlds first jet airliner Charles Townes builds a maser in 1953 at Columbia University... 1950s and early Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s - 1960s - 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s Years: 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. Many of the trends of... 1960s, many small clubs faced economic difficulties which were attributed to the lack of international competition by Mexican clubs and an unrewarding league format. Mexican clubs who placed relatively high in the league standings did not have the luxury to participate in prestigious international tournaments (such as the The Copa Libertadores de América (Liberators of the Americas Cup) is an international football cup competition played annually by the top clubs of South America. In recent years, top clubs from Mexico have also competed. Qualification The competition is organized and run annually in a similar manner to the... Copa Libertadores or the Champions League Logo The UEFA Champions League is an annual international inter-club football competition between Europes most successful clubs, regarded as the most prestigious club trophy in the sport. History Originally known as the European Champion Clubs Cup, or simply abbreviated as the European Cup, the competition began... UEFA Champions League) as many South American and European clubs did. The F.M.F. knew they had to act to regenerate interest to save many of the smaller clubs from bankruptcy and recruit new investors. The F.M.F., along with affluent club owners, were able to attract key investors. As a result, the F.M.F was in a position to host the The Football World Cup (official name: FIFA World Cup) is the most important competition in international football (soccer). Organised by Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the sports governing body, the World Cup finals tournament is the most widely-viewed and followed sporting event in the world... FIFA World Cup.

The Mexican League Boom

The The 1970 Football World Cup was held in Mexico. It was won by Brazil, who beat Italy 4-1 in the final. It was Pelés third and final World Cup victory. The format of the competition stayed the same as 1966: 16 teams qualified, divided into four groups of... 1970 FIFA World Cup held in Mexico was the first World Cup televised on a grand scale. For that one summer, the world looked to Mexico. This set a trend in marketing, recruitment and development. The new stadiums practice facilities built for the World Cup set a path for future events to come. Prior to the World Cup, the Liga Mayor awarded the team with the most points as national champions. The season following the FIFA World Cup, the F.M.F. changed the league format and established a playoff phase to determine the national champion. This was done to regenerate interest and reward teams that placed fairly high in the standings.

The Playoffs

The birth of the playoffs modernized the league despite the disagreements between the tradionalist and the modernist. Clubs that were near bankruptcy now were able to compete and generate profits. The playoffs have evolved since their inception. Today the teams are divided into groups, with the top teams from each group qualifing for a playoff phase called Liguilla. This playoff phase is played in two-leg aggregate-score format, similar to the quarterfinals and semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

In 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. Events Environmental change The invasive species Asian long-horned beetle is found in New York January 7 - One of the worst blizzards in American history hits eastern... 1996, the league decided to split the season into two championships. This measure was done to generate additional revenues to finance the F.M.F.'s lower divisions. The league holds two tournaments per year, first called invierno (winter) and verano (spring), now changed to clausura (closing) and apertura (opening).

At the end of a season, after the apertura and clausura tournaments, one team is relegated to the next lower division, Primera Division A, and one team from that division is promoted and takes the place left open by the relegated team. Currently, the relegated team is determined by computing the points-per-game-played ratio for each team, considering all the games played by the team during the last three seasons (six tournaments). The team with the lower ratio is relegated. For teams recently promoted, only the games played since their promotion are considered (two or four tournaments). The team promoted from Primera Division A is the winner of a two-leg match between the champions of the apertura and clausura tournaments of that division. If a team becomes the champion in both tournaments, it is automatically promoted.

Divisional Movements

I Liga Mayor 1943/44-1949/50; Primera Division 1950/51-

A.D.O. [folded after 48-49 season] I 1943/44-1948/49;

America I 1943/44-

Angeles - bought the Oaxtepec franchise in 1984; sold to Santos Laguna in 1988 I 1984/85-1987/88

Asturias - retired 49-50 I 1943/44-1949/50

Atlante I 1943/44-1975/76; 1977/78-1989/90; 1991/92-

Atlas I 1943/44-1953/54; 1955/56-1970/71; 1972/73-1977/78; 1979/80-

Atletas Campesinos - sold to Petroleum Workers Union of Madero and formed Tampico Madero in 1982 I 1980/81-1981/82

Atletico Celaya - franchise sold and relocated to Cuernavaca and change name to Colibries in 2003 I 1958/59-1960/61; 1995/96-2002 (Apertura 2002);

Atletico Morelia - formerly known was CD Morelia when promoted in 1957; changes name to Atl. Morelia in 1972 I 1957/58-1967/68; 1981/82-

Atletico Potosino I 1974/75-1988/89;

Cd. Juarez - bought the Cobras who had been relegated 1987 I 1988/89-1991/92;

Cd. Madero I 1965/66-1966/67; 1973/74-1974/75;

Cobras - was sold to Cd Juarez after being relegated in 1987 I 1986/87

Colibries - bought Atletico Celaya and relocated to Cuernavaca in 2003 I 2003 (Clausura 2003)

Cruz Azul - relocated to Mexico City in 1971 I 1964/65-

Cuauhtla I 1955/56-1958/59;

Deportivo Neza - bougth the Laguna Franchise in 1978; sold to U.A.T in 1988 I 1978/79-1987/88

España - retired 49-50 I 1943/44-1949/50

Guadalajara I 1943/44-

Irapuato - moved to Veracruz and renamed to Tiborones Rojos in 2001; league reduced to 18 & was dissolved in 2004 I 1954/55-1971/72; 1985/86-1990/91; 2000/01-2001 (Invierno 2001); 2003/04;

La Piedad - moved to Queretaro and named Gallos Blancos in 2002 I 1952-53; 2001/02;

Laguna - sold to Deportivo Neza in 1978 I 1968/69-1977/78

Leon I 1944/45-1986/87; 1990/91-2001/02;

Marte I 1943/44-1954/55

Moctezuma - retired 49-50 I 1943/44-1949/50

Monterrey - folded 45-46; restructured and promoted in 1956 I 1945/46; 1956/57; 1960/61-

Nacional I 1961/62-1964/65

Necaxa - change name to Atletico Espanol in 1971 and back to Necaxa in 1982; relocated to Aguascalientes in 2003 I 1950/51 -

Nuevo Leon I 1966/67-1968/69

Oaxtepec - sold to Angeles in 1984 I 1982/83-1983/84

Oro - change name to Jalisco 1970 I 1944/45-1979/80;

Pachuca I 1967/68-1972/73; 1992/93; 1996/1997; 1998/99-

Puebla - bought the Union de Curtidores franchise after being relegated in 1999, but remained in Puebla as Puebla I 1944/45-1955/56; 1970/71-1998/99; 1999/00-

Queretaro - bought the tampico madero franchise in 1990 I 1990/91-1993/94

Queretaro Gallos Blancos - league reduced to 18 and Queretaro relocated to Primera A in 2004 I 2002/03-2003/04;

Real San Luis I 2002/03-2003/04;

San Luis - was sold to Tampico in 1977 I 1971/72-1973/74; 1976/77

San Sebastian I 1945/46-1950/51

Santos Laguna - bought the Angeles franchise in 1988 I 1988/89-

Tampico - bought the san luis franchise in 1977 I 1945/46-1957/58; 1959/60-1962-63; 1977/78-1981/82

Tampico Madero - bought the Atletas Campesinos franchise in 1982; sold to Queretaro in 1990 I 1982/83-1989/90; 1994/95 (had to play remaining games in Queretaro and played under TM gallos blancos);

Tiborones Rojos - moved to Veracruz from Irapuato in 2002; moved to Chiapas and renamed to Jaguares Chiapas in 2002 I 2002 (Verano 2002) (moved to Tuxtla Gutierrez after Veracruz (primera a) won their promotion)

Toluca I 1953/54-

Torreon - sold to Universidad de Guadalajara in 1974 I 1969/70-1973/74

U.A.N.L. Tigres I 1974/75-1995/96; 1997/98-

U.A.G Tecos I 1975/76-

U.A.T - bought the Dep. Neza franchise after being relegated in 1988 I 1987/88; 1988/89-1994/95;

UdeG - bought the Torreon franchise in 1974; sold in 1994 and dismantled I 1974/75-1993/94

U.N.A.M. Pumas I 1962/63-

Union de Curtidores - won promotion in 1999 but sold off 1st division rights to Puebla I 1974/75-1980/81; 1983/84;

U.T. Neza - changed name when promoted to Toros Neza in 1993 but played last games in Pachuca due to stadium problems I 1993/94 (played under Toros Hidalgo)-1999/00;

Veracruz - Potros Neza promoted but sold rights to Veracruz in 1989 I 1943/44-1951/52; 1964/65-1978/79; 1989/90-1997/98; 2002-

Zacatepec I 1951/52-1961/62; 1963/64-1965/66; 1970/71-1976/77; 1978/79-1982/83; 1984/85;

Zamora I 1955/56; 1957/58-1959/60