'It’s what happens in every country' - Toluca's Héctor Herrera calls for return of promotion and relegation in Liga MX

Héctor Herrera is in his first semester back in Liga MX after his time in Europe and MLS. Now playing for Toluca - who will compete in the liguilla after finishing as leaders of the Clausura 2025 - the former Houston Dynamo midfielder took time to speak about one of Liga MX’s most pressing issues: the promotion and relegation system. This topic has resurfaced in recent weeks following the possibility of its return in 2026.

"The most attractive thing would be to have promotion and relegation. That’s how it works in most countries, but well, there’s nothing I can do, and I prefer not to get involved in that controversy," Herrera said in an interview with Fox Sports.

The Guardianes 2020 tournament marked the end of promotion and relegation in Mexican football—a decision made by league officials following the COVID-19 pandemic. At that time, a five-year freeze was established, with heavy fines imposed on the bottom teams during that period.

The topic of promotion and relegation had gone largely unnoticed for several years, but it has recently regained momentum, especially as several teams in the Liga de Expansión have made significant investments to be considered for promotion to the top division. This renewed interest comes amid the declining level of play in Liga MX in recent years, where teams at the bottom of the table are only required to pay a financial penalty. The argument being made is that reintroducing promotion and relegation would strengthen competition and give deserving teams the opportunity to move up - a system that exists in most countries around the world, except in Mexico and the United States.

In the same interview, the midfielder also shared his thoughts on the lack of Mexican players making the move to Europe: “I still don’t understand why there aren’t more players in Europe when there’s so much quality. We’re seeing it now - young players keep emerging who could have an opportunity, and that way, the Mexico National Team could continue to grow,” Herrera stated.

Antonio Mohamed’s team will visit Rayados this Wednesday for the first leg of the Liguilla Quarterfinals. By then, it will have been 18 days since the Diablos last played an official match. The return leg will be held on Saturday at the Estadio Nemesio Diez.