Jorge Álvarez Máynez petitions antitrust regulator over Liga MX promotion ban

Jorge Álvarez Máynez, a national coordinator for Movimiento Ciudadano and former presidential candidate, has filed a formal petition with Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission to investigate the Mexican Football Federation (FMF). The legal action seeks an investigation into the indefinite elimination of the promotion and relegation system within Liga MX.

The petition alleges that the FMF’s decision to maintain a closed circuit of 18 clubs constitutes monopolistic practices and creates barriers to free competition. Máynez argues that this structure violates economic rights for investors, restricts the labor market for players and coaching staff, and removes the principle of sporting merit from the national game.

The request asks authorities to analyze whether the 18 Liga MX franchises are exercising substantial market power by preventing other teams from competing for a spot in the top division. This follows a period where the promotion and relegation system was suspended in 2020 due to financial concerns, leading to the creation of the Liga de Expansión MX.