The 1970s Dominance
The Cement Machine of Mexican Football
Club de Futbol Cruz Azul S.A. de C.V., commonly known as Cruz Azul, is a Mexican professional football club based in Mexico City. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at Estadio Azteca. Founded in 1927 in Jasso, Hidalgo, as Club Deportivo, Social y Cultural Cruz Azul, A.C., the club relocated to Mexico City in 1971. It was renamed Cruz Azul Fútbol Club, A.C. in 2012, before adopting its current name in 2022. Cruz Azul are one of only seven Mexican clubs to have never been relegated from the top flight.
Quick Facts
- Key achievement
- First Mexican club to win the Copa Interamericana (vs. Club Nacional de Football, Uruguay, 1972)
Lore & Background
Cruz Azul was founded in the late 1920s in Jasso, Hidalgo, where cement company Cooperativa La Cruz Azul fostered a connection with football. The club's formation was driven by Carlos Garcés López, a footballer and dentist employed by the cooperative. After a referendum on 22 March 1927, football was selected as the company's official sport, and the team was formally established on 22 May 1927. The club's working-class roots were solidified when workers took ownership of the cooperative in 1931 after financial difficulties. Between 1932 and 1943, Cruz Azul won 15 consecutive league titles in a local amateur league in Hidalgo. The club gained professional status in 1961 and earned promotion to the Primera División in the 1963–64 season.
Reader's Guide
Cruz Azul has won ten league titles, four Copa MX, four Campeón de Campeones, and holds the joint-record with one Supercopa de la Liga MX and one Supercopa MX. In international competitions, with seven titles, the club holds the joint-record for the most successful club in the history of the CONCACAF Champions Cup/Champions League. The club achieved a continental treble in the 1968–69 season by winning the Primera División, Copa México and CONCACAF Champions' Cup, becoming the first CONCACAF club and third worldwide to accomplish this feat. In 2026, Cruz Azul was named by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics as the 71st-best club in the world and the highest-ranked club in CONCACAF for the 2025 calendar year. The club maintains a long-standing rivalry with América, known as the Clásico Joven.
Did You Know?
- Cruz Azul holds the record for the most league runner-up finishes (commonly cited as 13 or more).
- The club was the first team from CONCACAF to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores.
- Cruz Azul won a domestic treble in 1969, but has never won a continental treble.
Frequently Asked Questions
What defines the 1970s Dominance era?
This period transformed the club from an industrial outfit into Mexico's first true international powerhouse through consistent domestic success. It established the Celestes as a team capable of competing with any giant in Latin America during that decade.
Who was the key manager behind this success?
Uruguayan coach Ubaldo Fillol served as the visionary leader who built the squad's tactical foundation and winning mentality. His guidance was instrumental in securing multiple Liga MX championships throughout the 1970s.
What major international trophy did Cruz Azul win then?
The club made history by becoming the first Mexican team to win a major continental trophy against South American opposition in the Copa Interamericana. They defeated Argentina's Independiente, proving their status as champions of the Americas.
Which domestic titles characterize this dominance?
Cruz Azul dominated Mexican football with multiple Liga MX Championships, including notable victories in 1969-70 and 1973-74. This level of consistency was unprecedented for the club at that time.
More in Club History & Eras
Elsewhere in Cruz Azul
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced