Liga MX: Why is it called Clausura tournament if it starts in January?

Many people wonder why the Liga MX Clausura tournament is called that when it began in January, while the one that starts in the middle of the year, in July, is called the Apertura tournament. Shouldn't it be the other way around, many people wonder.

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Why is it called Clausura tournament if it starts in January?

The reality is that there is a reason for this. The soccer cycle in most of the world, including Mexico, begins in July and ends in June. That is why the World Cup takes place in the middle of the year (with the exception of Qatar), between the end of one season and the beginning of the next.

That is why the tournament that starts in July is called the Apertura and the one that starts in January is the Clausura. It should also be remembered that it is precisely in the Clausura, which ends in May, that before the rule was changed, a team was relegated; now only the corresponding fine is paid.

For this reason, in the past, for the competition that begins in July, the Apertura tournament, a club was promoted from the Ascenso MX, a league formerly known as "Primera A" and now known as "Liga de Expansión" (Expansion League).

Therefore, mainly in European leagues, the current season is the 2021-2022 season, since it started in the middle of last year and will end in May this year.

The soccer year is governed by its own rules and does not go according to the astronomical calendar.

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