Chivas vs Cruz Azul Draws 40,170 as Liga MX Attendance Plummets Amid Northern Club Dominance

The Chivas vs. Cruz Azul clash in Week 7 of the 2025 Apertura season pulled in 40,170 fans at Estadio Akron in Zapopan, Jalisco — a rare moment of electric energy in a league struggling to hold onto its crowd. The game wasn’t just another fixture; it was a snapshot of Mexican soccer’s quiet crisis. While the stadium was nearly full — holding 49,813 seats — the broader picture tells a different story: attendance across Liga MX has collapsed to 20,919 per game in the 2025-26 season, down from a peak of 27,211 in 2016-17. That’s a drop of over 6,000 fans per match in less than a decade. And the reason? It’s not just bad soccer. It’s geography, displacement, and a fanbase that’s slowly turning its back on tradition.

The Stadium Shuffle

Cruz Azul, one of Mexico’s most storied clubs, hasn’t played a home game at its usual venue since early 2025. After being forced out of Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes due to logistical issues, the team found itself playing at Estadio Olímpico Universitario in Mexico City — a 73,000-seat venue owned by UNAM Pumas. The arrangement was supposed to be temporary. It’s become a symbol of instability. Fans didn’t follow. Cruz Azul’s average attendance in the 2025 Clausura season fell to 19,469 — a drop of nearly 7,200 from the previous year. Meanwhile, Club América moved into Cruz Azul’s old home, creating what analysts at Bill Sports Maps called “a bit of musical chairs” across the league’s venues.

Chivas Still Holds the Line — Barely

While Cruz Azul’s fanbase evaporated, Chivas clung to its legacy. Even after a turbulent start to the 2025 Clausura campaign — one that saw them miss the playoffs — their home crowd averaged 32,866. By the Apertura season, that number climbed to 36,004, according to Viva Liga MX. That’s impressive, especially considering Estadio Akron’s capacity. But here’s the twist: even Chivas’ loyal fans aren’t filling the stands to the brim. The club’s 40,170 attendance against Cruz Azul was one of the highest of the season outside the northern powerhouse games. Yet, it still left nearly 10,000 seats empty. The message? Tradition isn’t enough anymore.

The Northern Takeover

The real story isn’t in Guadalajara or Mexico City. It’s in Monterrey. Tigres UANL and Monterrey are now the undisputed kings of attendance. In the 2025 Apertura season alone, Tigres drew 324,452 total fans — 15,000 more than Monterrey’s 321,726. Their stadiums — BBVA Stadium and Estadio Universitario — are packed or nearly full every match, according to Soy Futbol. The contrast is brutal: Cruz Azul’s total attendance for the season? 168,401. Club América? 139,186. The gap isn’t just wide. It’s widening.

That next Clásico Regio between Tigres and Monterrey on November 1, 2025, at 7:05 PM at BBVA Stadium? It’s expected to sell out. The stadium’s 51,000 capacity might not even be enough. Northern fans aren’t just showing up — they’re building a new culture around the game: louder, younger, more invested. And they’re doing it without the weight of decades of history.

Why the Collapse?

Liga MX’s attendance decline isn’t accidental. It’s structural. The league’s average has dropped by 5,000 fans per game since 2014 — a full 18% fall. The reasons? Multiple. First, the rise of streaming and social media means fans don’t need to be in the stadium to feel connected. Second, ticket prices have climbed faster than inflation, especially in Mexico City and Guadalajara. Third, and most telling: the clubs in the north invested in fan experience — better concessions, family zones, digital integration. The traditional clubs? They kept the same rituals, same prices, same atmosphere.

There’s also a generational shift. Younger fans in southern Mexico feel disconnected from clubs that haven’t won titles in over a decade. Meanwhile, Tigres and Monterrey have lifted trophies consistently since 2015. They’ve become symbols of success — not just tradition. And in modern soccer, success sells.

What’s Next?

The league is quietly considering a relocation plan for Cruz Azul — possibly to a new stadium in the northern suburbs of Mexico City, where fan density is higher and infrastructure is more modern. But that’s a political minefield. The club’s historic ties to the capital run deep. Meanwhile, Chivas is facing internal pressure to modernize its fan engagement — from ticketing to digital content — or risk losing even more ground.

And then there’s the big question: Can any club outside the north ever reclaim the spotlight? The answer might depend on whether the traditional powerhouses can adapt — or if they’re destined to become relics of a past era.