Former Real Madrid stars Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez clash in Liga MX - one sent off, the other injured as Monterrey win against Club Leon

The last matchday of the Clausura 2025 delivered one of the most anticipated showdowns for Liga MX fans: a clash between two Real Madrid legends—Sergio Ramos and James Rodríguez. Now on opposing sides, the Spaniard playing for Monterrey and the Colombian for León, the two iconic players who defined an era at Madrid faced off in Mexico.

As the teams entered the pitch, Ramos and James shared a warm embrace before kickoff. But the match didn’t go as either would have hoped. James Rodríguez was sent off after arguing with the referee, while Sergio Ramos had to leave the game early due to injury.

In the end, Monterrey claimed a 2-0 away win over Club León on Matchday 17 of the Clausura 2025, securing their place in the Play-In against Pachuca. León, despite the loss, finished in the top six and will go straight to the Liguilla.

Both León and Monterrey met their objectives in the Clausura 2025 despite experiencing ups and downs throughout the tournament. The same applies to Rodríguez and Ramos - their time in Liga MX hasn't fully lived up to expectations, but they've still delivered standout moments for fans who’ve flocked to stadiums across the country to see them. On this occasion, though, James was sent off and Ramos left the match injured - setbacks that leave their coaches with fresh concerns. James will miss the first leg against Cruz Azul, and León are already underdogs to reach the semifinals. Meanwhile, it remains to be seen how serious Ramos’ injury is and whether he’ll be ready for Monterrey’s Play-In match on Sunday.

In recent weeks, there had been speculation about Martin Demichelis leaving Rayados, with several media outlets even claiming that the team was already in talks with former Spain and West Ham coach Julen Lopetegui to take his place.

"Where are the rumors? They are just rumors, I’m not going to worry about rumors," Demichelis said. "There are many rumors in the world, and honestly, if it doesn’t concern me, if it’s external and has no impact on me, then I don’t care."

Meanwhile, Leon manager Eduardo Berizzo commented on the red card Rodríguez received, which will cause him to miss the first leg of the Quarterfinals against Cruz Azul.

"I’m not in a position to comment because I didn’t know and didn’t ask about the dialogue between James and the referee," he said. "Surely, if the referee found persistence in the complaint, he gave him a yellow card and then decided to send him off."

Rayados will host Tuzos next Sunday at Estadio BBVA, needing a win to advance to the Liguilla. A victory will reward them with a matchup against América in the Quarterfinals and a week of rest before facing the round. However, if they suffer an adverse result, they will have to face the winner of the Pumas vs. FC Juárez match. For León, the two-week break will be helpful to forget this disastrous month of April. La Fiera will face Cruz Azul in the Quarterfinals, most likely without James Rodríguez, who is suspended for the first leg.