The 2026 Apertura Tournament of Liga MX will kick off with a matchup that goes beyond the three points at stake. Necaxa and Atlante will face off again on Matchday 1, reviving a rivalry that shaped the early days of Mexican football and is considered by many historians to be the first “Clásico” in Mexican football.
Before rivalries such as América vs. Chivas, Pumas vs. América, or the Clásico Regio, it was the Rayos and the Potros who starred in one of the country’s most intense rivalries—a story built on popular passion, sporting pride, and the identity of two clubs that helped lay the foundation for football’s growth in Mexico.
A classic born nearly 100 years ago
The story began on October 2, 1927, when Atlante played the first official match of its history against Necaxa in the Mexican Football Federation’s Primera Fuerza Championship, during the amateur era.
That match ended in a 2-2 draw, but it meant much more than just a result: it marked the birth of a rivalry that, nearly a century later, continues to be a part of Mexican football history.
With the start of the Professional Era, the two teams met again on September 28, 1950. On that occasion, Atlante defeated Necaxa 4-1 at the then-Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes, writing the first professional chapter in the history of the two clubs.
A Rivalry Marked by Parity
Few rivalries in Mexican football boast such a marked balance as that between Necaxa and Atlante.
In their 102 First Division matchups, both clubs have the same number of wins:
- 36 wins for Necaxa
- 36 wins for Atlante
- 30 draws
The statistics reflect the competitiveness that has characterized this rivalry for decades and explain why it continues to be considered one of the historic showdowns in Mexican football.
Matches That Defined an Era
Over the course of nearly a century, Necaxa and Atlante have played matches that remain etched in fans’ memories.
One of the most memorable took place during the 1931–1932 season, when Atlante defeated the Rayos 3–2 to win the first league championship in its history.
Necaxa’s response came just one year later.
In the 1932–1933 season, the then-Electricistas scored a historic 9–0 rout, a result that for many years was considered one of the most decisive victories in Mexican football history.
Decades later, during the 1994–1995 season, Necaxa once again dominated with another memorable performance, defeating Atlante 7–0 at Estadio Azteca and setting the record for the largest margin of victory between the two clubs in the professional era.
The Relegation That Changed History
The rivalry also produced one of its most dramatic chapters during the 2011 Clausura.
In that tournament, the match between the Rayos and the Potros proved decisive in Necaxa’s relegation—an episode that further intensified the emotional tension between the two clubs and remains etched in memory as one of the most painful moments for Necaxa fans.
The 2026 Apertura Revives a Historic Rivalry
Now, the 2026 Apertura offers a new opportunity for Necaxa and Atlante to write another chapter in their long history.
Beyond the result, the match represents the return of two clubs that are fundamental to understanding the origins of Mexican football—protagonists of a rivalry that has survived the passage of time and the various transformations of the league.
While new generations enjoy contemporary derbies, the Rayos and the Potros remind us that the first great rivalry in Mexican football began long ago and remains as relevant as ever.
The opening whistle of the 2026 Apertura will not only mark the start of a new tournament but also the rebirth of Mexican football’s first Clásico—a rivalry that continues to prove that great stories are never finished.
