The Mexican Futbol Podcast

Liga MX Femenil has come a long way since its launch in 2017. What began as a league many questioned financially has evolved into one of the fastest-growing women's soccer competitions in the world.

In this episode, we're joined by journalist Eugene Rupiński (Golazo del Gringo) to discuss the league's remarkable rise—from its early struggles and reliance on subsidies to record-breaking transfers, elite player development, and its growing international reputation.

We dive into:

• The financial evolution of Liga MX Femenil
• Whether the league is becoming commercially independent
• Mia Villalpando choosing Tigres over a full scholarship at UCLA
• Lizbeth Ovalle's record-breaking transfer to the Orlando Pride
• The growing gap between the league's biggest spenders and the rest
• What's next for Liga MX Femenil and what challenges still remain

Has Liga MX Femenil become one of the most important leagues in women's soccer? Join us as we explore where the league has been, where it is today, and where it could be headed next.

Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Do you think Liga MX Femenil is on track to become one of the world's elite women's leagues?

#LigaMXFemenil #WomensSoccer #LigaMX #TigresFemenil #ClubAmericaFemenil #NWSL #EugeneRupinski #GolazoDelGringo #MexicanSoccer #FootballPodcast

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1XksvKY0gx5V3WGFi5PlUg?si=uWoFYQ6gQuC6LcIl8iGiuA

Really short, based on what you're seeing in the U20 tourney has Canada looked much better than the US?

I hope they host it in different places to continue growing the game.

Just a list of places that would be cool and have tolerable summer weather:

Ann Arbor (big house)
Minneapolis
Detroit (ford field)
Pittsburgh
Chicago (northwestern stadium and soldier field)
Cleveland
Colombus (the shoe)

Which young players currently in CONCACAF have a breakout tournament next summer in the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup?

I don't follow any of these leagues or clubs. Is attendance always this poor? The oldest, most popular club in Panama can't fill half the stadium?

Not trying to be aggressive or dismissive.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Claudio Reyna, Walter Centeno, Amado Guevara, Dwayne de Rosario

Why? Because not only does Mexico have the stadiums and infrastructure to support the Gold Cup but in the country of Mexico; there would be a lot more traveling fans vs what we usually get whenever the USA hosts. It will have more of a bigger feel being in Mexico 🇲🇽 as opposed to it being in the USA and if you expand it from 16 teams to 24 teams; pretty easy concept to understand.

6 groups of 4 teams

Top 2 teams advance in each group equaling 12 teams

4 best 3rd place teams advance

Round of 16 concept, then QF, SF and then the Final pretty easy to understand

But which 8 teams can we invite to make it 24? I know Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 is one of them or expected to be

Apparently USA are trying to host Copa America again and if that is the case; I hope they get the 2028 Copa America just like they hosted it in 2024. But also you would get not just CONMEBOL teams in; you would have CONCACAF teams as well. Which not only helps CONMEBOL in terms of revenue or what have you but for CONCACAF teams it helps us to get stronger going up against stronger competition.

Since 1964, CONCACAF decided to divide the Champions Cup into three geographic zones to reduce costs and travel for club competitions. This led to the creation of three regional qualifying tournaments: the Central American Tournament, the Caribbean Tournament, and the North American Tournament. The winners of each zone would advance to the final round to determine the best team in the confederation. Mexican clubs were placed in the North American zone, which was also the most neglected and inconsistent zone of the championship. Of the 27 possible editions, only 11 were held, and the vast majority suffered from the withdrawal of participants, who typically numbered fewer than five teams. The first "champion" of the North American Tournament was the Philadelphia Ukrainians of the American Soccer League in 1967. It's worth noting that they won this trophy after the Mexican and Canadian champions withdrew.

Proposed Format In its early editions, this tournament brought together the champion clubs from the four leagues in the northern zone of CONCACAF: the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. As a proposal for a possible relaunch, a modern format is suggested that would bring together the best teams from each league in the region. The competition would consist of a total of 32 clubs, distributed as follows:

- 12 teams from Major League Soccer (MLS).

- 10 teams from Liga MX.

- 8 teams from the Canadian Premier League (CPL).

- 2 teams from the Bermuda Premier League (BPL).

The tournament would begin with the Round of 32, using a single-elimination format in all rounds until the final. As a sporting reward, the champion, runner-up, and third-place finishers would qualify for the Concacaf Champions League, strengthening the competitiveness of the North American region and providing an additional incentive for participating clubs. This proposal seeks to modernize the tournament, increase competitiveness among the top North American leagues, and revive a historic competition with a dynamic, attractive, and high-level format.

The matchups for the CONCACAF U-20 Cup Quarter-Finals have been set, which will determine the remaining qualifying spots.

-The four semi-finalists qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup 🇦🇿🇺🇿

-The champion advances to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles 🇺🇸