The Primera Division is the top competition in Mexican football and has been established since 1943. It was a slow start for the competition but after the World Cup came to the nation in 1970 the league took off. In 1996 Mexico adopted the South American season and created two league competitions during the year. The Apertura runs between August and December with the Clausura taking place between January and May. Three groups of six are set up in these competitions with the top two in each group and the next two highest placed teams go forward to the play-off series called the Liguilla which determines that competitions winner. In the Liguilla the eight teams take part in a knockout competition to decide the eventual winner.

The dominant forces in Mexican club football have been Guadalajara and America who have 21 title wins between them.