Toluca seals the back-to-back title after edging Tigres 9–8 on penalties following a 2–2 aggregate draw

TOLUCA, Mexico (AP) — Alexis Vega returned to action after nearly six weeks on the sidelines and delivered the decisive moment of the Liga MX Apertura final, converting the winning penalty as Toluca defeated Tigres 9–8 in a marathon shootout on Sunday night. The victory followed a 2–1 win in regulation time that left the two-leg final tied 2–2 on aggregate, forcing penalties to determine the champion.

The shootout extended to 12 attempts per side in front of a raucous crowd at the Estadio Nemesio Diez. For Tigres, Nicolás Ibáñez, Joaquín Pereira, goalkeeper Nahuel Guzmán and Ángel Correa all failed from the spot, with Correa missing on Tigres’ second attempt in the 12th round. Toluca also had its share of misses, as Federico Pereira, Juan Domínguez and goalkeeper Luis García failed to convert, keeping the contest alive after all players who finished extra time had taken a kick.

With the pressure at its peak, Vega — who had already scored Toluca’s opening penalty — stepped forward again and calmly buried the decisive shot, triggering an eruption of celebration among the home supporters.

“I wasn’t physically ready, I hadn’t been able to train with my teammates,” Vega said after the trophy presentation. “But this is the love I have for Toluca. I took injections so I could be there with the group. I knew the risk of making the injury worse. Right now I don’t feel anything — I’m anesthetized — but we’ll see how I wake up tomorrow.”

The triumph delivered Toluca its 12th league championship, moving the club level with Chivas de Guadalajara as the second-most successful team in Mexican football history. Only Club América, with 16 titles, has more. Tigres, meanwhile, missed the chance to capture a ninth league crown.

Toluca entered the second leg needing a comeback after losing 1–0 in Monterrey. Their task became even more difficult in the 14th minute when Fernando Gorriarán gave Tigres the lead, redirecting a free kick from André-Pierre Gignac into the net.

“We suffered a bit,” said Toluca midfielder Nico Castro. “We wanted to control the ball, but it wasn’t easy because they also wanted to play. I think they got tired because of the altitude and our tempo. Sometimes you win by suffering, and we’re truly very happy.”

Toluca’s response came just before halftime. In the 40th minute, Brazilian winger Helinho unleashed a powerful left-footed strike across goal that beat Guzmán and reignited hope for the hosts. The aggregate score was leveled early in the second half when Portuguese forward Paulinho — the league’s three-time top scorer — finished a pinpoint cross from Helinho inside the box to complete the comeback on the night.

“If you lived day to day with us, you’d understand how strong this group is and how ready everyone is to play,” Paulinho said after lifting the trophy. “Helinho struggled with injuries last tournament and couldn’t help much, but he kept working. Today he scored a great goal and provided the assist.”

Both Helinho and Paulinho were substituted in the second half and did not take part in the penalty shootout.

With the victory, Toluca joined Pumas UNAM, León, Atlas and América as the only teams to win back-to-back titles in the era of short tournaments, with América having achieved the feat three times consecutively.

For Toluca head coach Antonio Mohamed, the title marked the fifth Liga MX championship of his career, following triumphs with Tijuana (Apertura 2012), América (Apertura 2014), Monterrey (Apertura 2019), and now Toluca in both the Clausura and Apertura of 2025. The achievement places him level with Víctor Manuel Vucetich and the late Manuel Lapuente for second on the all-time coaching list, trailing only Ignacio Trelles and Ricardo Ferretti, who each won seven league titles.

For Tigres veterans Nahuel Guzmán, Gignac and Javier Aquino, the defeat meant missing the opportunity to claim a sixth league championship during the most successful decade in the club’s history.