The Copa MX (formerly called Copa Tower Monterrey, Copa Eliminatoria, Copa México and Copa
Corona
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* Corona (beer), a Mexican beer
* Corona, informal term for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 di ...
MX (for sponsorship reasons)) was a Mexican
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
cup competition that was established in
1907. After a lengthy hiatus that began in
1997
File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...
, it was restored in
2012
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.
On early editions of the cup, it consisted of both professional and amateur stages. It was the first official tournament that included teams from different parts of Mexico and was considered a prestigious tournament, especially during its earlier years of existence. The original purpose of the competition was to determine a national champion, thus distinguishing it from the local league championship. Its format was different from the local leagues as well, as it employed direct elimination and culminated in a final that received much more fanfare than the local leagues.
The cup has twice been placed on hiatus by the
Mexican Football Federation
The Mexican Football Federation (; abbreviated as Femexfut or FMF) is the governing body of association football in Mexico. It adm the Mexico national team, the Liga MX and all affiliated amateur sectors, and controls promoting, organizing, dire ...
– between 1976 and 1988 and between 1992 and 1994 – with the 1997 edition of the tournament being the last time the Copa México was held before it was placed on an indefinite hiatus. In May 2012,
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
president Decio de María announced the return and rebranding of the tournament.
History
Copa Tower (1907–1919)
The Copa México began in 1907 with the donation of the trophy by
Reginald Tower
Sir Reginald Thomas Tower (1 September 186021 January 1939) was a British diplomat whose career lasted from 1885 to 1920.Who's Who UK online
Early life
Tower was educated at Harrow School and then Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated ...
, who was at the time the British
ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Mexico. For this reason, it was originally called the ''Copa Tower''. At first, the tournament only included clubs from Mexico City and the surrounding areas.
Pachuca
Pachuca (; ote, Nju̱nthe), formally known as Pachuca de Soto, is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Hidalgo. It is located in the south-central part of the state. Pachuca de Soto is also the name of the municipality of whi ...
won the inaugural tournament, in 1908, by defeating
Reforma AC
The Reforma Athletic Club is a Mexican sports club located in San Juan Totoltepec, Naucalpan. The club is mostly known for its association football, football team that played in the Primera Fuerza, Liga Mexicana de Football Amateur Association p ...
in the final. In 1919,
Real España
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* ''Real'' (Bright album) (2010)
...
won the cup for the third year straight and were allowed to keep the trophy permanently. In all, the Copa Tower was contested 11 times, with Real España winning it four times in all, the best performance of the period.
Copa Eliminatoria (1919–1932)
In 1920, the tournament took place for the first time with a new trophy, the ''Copa Eliminatoria''. It was contested six times between the years 1920 and 1926.
Asturias F.C.
Asturias F.C. (currently Centro Asturiano de México) was a sports club located in Mexico City, established in 1918. The squad played in the Liga Mexicana de Football Amateur Association, the first and main league prior to the professionalisati ...
won it three times during this period (consecutively from 1922 to 1924), the highest total of any team during this period.
Copa México (1932–1997)
Amateur Period (1932–1943)
After the foundation of the
Federación Mexicana de Fútbol
The Mexican Football Federation (; abbreviated as Femexfut or FMF) is the governing body of association football in Mexico. It adm the Mexico national football team, Mexico national team, the Liga MX and all affiliated amateur sectors, and contro ...
in 1927, a new trophy, named the ''Copa México'', was donated in 1932. Following a six-year hiatus, the cup was contested again during the 1932–33 season. This time, the competition also received official support of
President
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Lázaro Cárdenas
Lázaro Cárdenas del Río (; 21 May 1895 – 19 October 1970) was a Mexican army officer and politician who served as president of Mexico from 1934 to 1940.
Born in Jiquilpan, Michoacán, to a working-class family, Cárdenas joined the M ...
. The first Copa México was won by
Necaxa in a tournament of historical importance due to the adoption of new rules. This marked the beginning of an 11-year period that is referred to in retrospect as the ''Amateur Period''. Once again, Asturias F.C. dominated the championship, winning it a record 5 times during this period.
Professional Period (1943–1997)
In 1943 the ''Professional Period'' of the Copa México began, a period that would last until the competition's termination in 1997. At first, it was played among teams from the then-
Liga Mayor, the present-day Primera Division de Mexico. Beginning in 1950 the teams of the
Segunda División de México were also included into the competition with the exception of the 1956–57, 1963–64, 1994–95 and 1995–96 seasons.
Copa MX (2012–2021)
Semi-annual format (2012–2016)
Upon its return in 2012, the newly rebranded Copa MX was played twice a year, concurrent with the two league tournaments. In the Fall tournament, 14 of the
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
teams not involved in the CONCACAF Champions League, play alongside 14 of the
Ascenso MX
Ascenso MX was the second tier of professional football in Mexico of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top-flight tier). The bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (the third tier). ...
teams. The 14 Ascenso MX teams were the 13 top point-earners from the season prior, plus the newly relegated team. The teams were placed into 7 groups of 4. The 7 group winners, plus the group runner-up with the highest point total, moved on to the quarterfinals.
Teams played 6 games in the group stage. Groups and home field advantage were determined by a blind draw. For the group draw, 1st division teams were placed in Pot A, while 2nd division teams were placed in Pot B. In the home field advantage draw, no team can have more than 2 home games in the group stage. A blind draw determined home field advantage in the knockout rounds.
In the Spring tournament, the 11 Liga MX teams not involved in international tournaments, played alongside the 13 Ascenso MX teams with the highest point total from the previous short tournament. Both tournaments will have the same draw format and number of group games. KO rounds for both tournaments will be single-elimination.
Revised semi-annual format (2016–2019)
The new format was played twice a year, concurrent with the two league tournaments. In the Fall tournament, all
Liga MX
The Liga MX, officially known as the Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football division in Mexico, holding 2 tournaments per year.
The league is considered the strongest in North America, and among the strongest in a ...
clubs will play alongside 12 of the
Ascenso MX
Ascenso MX was the second tier of professional football in Mexico of the Mexican football league system. The champion of the competition was promoted to Liga MX (top-flight tier). The bottom team was relegated to Liga Premier (the third tier). ...
teams. The 12 Ascenso MX teams will be the 11 top point-earners from the season prior, plus the newly relegated team. The teams will be placed into 8 groups of 3. The 8 group winners, plus the 8 group runners-up, move on to the new round (round of 16).
Teams will play 4 games in the group stage. Groups and home field advantage will be determined the draw by public at their annual draft. For the group draw, 1st division teams top 4 point-earners and 2nd division teams top 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot A, while 1st division teams mid 4 point-earners and 2nd division teams mid 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot B and 1st division teams last 4 point-earners and 2nd division teams last 4 point-earners will be placed in Pot C. In the home field advantage draw, teams can have 2 home games in the group stage. A blind draw will determine home field advantage in the KO rounds.
Annual format (2019–2022)
From 2019 to 2020 season, the Copa MX will be played as a single tournament throughout the season. It will have the participation of 27 teams (15 of Liga MX and 12 of Ascenso MX) place into 9 groups of 3. Respect to the development of the tournament, this maintains most of the 2016 format, except the division in 2 tournaments per year. The group stage will be played between July and December, and the final stage will be played between January and April.
List of finals
Amateur era (1907–1943)
Copa Tower
Copa Eliminatoria
Copa Mexico
Professional era (1943–1997)
1: On
away goals
The away goals rule is a method of tiebreaking in association football and other sports when teams play each other twice, once at each team's home ground. Under the away goals rule, if the total goals scored by each team are equal, the team that ...
Copa MX
List of winners
Amateur era
Professional era
Performance by Club
See also
*
SuperCopa MX
The Supercopa MX ( en, Supercup MX) was a Mexican football championship contested by the winners of the Apertura and Clausura Copa MX.
History
In June 2013 Liga MX president Decio De María announced the winners of Apertura and Clausura Copa MX w ...
References
External links
Official site RSSSF.com
{{Futbol Mexicano
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
Football competitions in Mexico