Playoff-bound FC Juarez to Close 2025 Apertura Against Queretaro with Seeding at Stake
FC Juarez approaches its final regular-season match against Queretaro aiming to cap off its most successful campaign yet. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT at Estadio Benito Juárez.
The Bravos currently hold seventh place and have secured a spot in the play-in tournament starting next week. However, their final position in the 2025 Apertura seeding remains to be decided.
Context of Liga MX and the Season
Liga MX is Mexico's top professional soccer league, comparable to the United States' MLS but established 50 years earlier. Toluca won the 2025 Clausura, concluding in May, and now ranks second behind Cruz Azul as the regular season nears its end.
Playoff Format and Stakes
The Liga MX playoff structure resembles the NBA’s format: the top six teams advance directly to the playoffs, while teams seeded seventh through tenth enter a two-round play-in tournament competing for the final two Liguilla playoff spots.
- To claim sixth place, Juárez must:
- Defeat Queretaro
- Hope Guadalajara Chivas loses at home to Monterey on November 8
- Overcome a four-goal deficit in goal differential versus Chivas
- If Juárez wins but these conditions are unmet, it will enter the playoffs as the seventh seed, hosting a home play-in game where a single win secures advancement.
- A loss could see Juárez drop from eighth to as low as tenth place.
Liga MX playoff format for the 2025 Apertura is similar to the NBA, with the top six going straight into the playoffs while seven through 10 have a two-round play-in to make what will be an eight-team Liguilla playoff.
The nine seed hosts 10 with the winner traveling to the 7-8 loser in the play-in rounds.
FC Juarez’s final regular-season match will determine not only their seeding but also their path in the postseason tournament, highlighting the significance of the last game.
Author's summary: FC Juarez aims to secure a higher playoff seed by defeating Queretaro while depending on other results, as the Liga MX play-in tournament intensifies for postseason positioning.