La Gran Final 1985

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. Carlos Garcés López, a footballer, athlete and dentist employed by the cooperative, advocated for football to become the company's official sport. After a referendum on 22 March 1927, football was selected, and the team was formally established on 22 May 1927, with Garcés López as its first manager. Between 1932 and 1943, Cruz Azul won 15 consecutive league titles in a local amateur league in the state of Hidalgo. The club gained official registration as a professional club after competing in the 1960–61 Copa de la Segunda División de México.

In Their Own Story

The scoreboard showed América leading 1-0, a result that felt like a death sentence for the blue dreams of the visiting fans. But then, a pass cut through the midfield like a knife, finding the space behind the defense. The roar of the Celeste faithful shifted from anxiety to a deafening crescendo as the ball hit the net. In that instant, the impossible became reality; the Azteca was no longer América's fortress, but the birthplace of a new champion.

Reader's Guide

Cruz Azul competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. The club plays its home matches at Estadio Azteca. Domestically, the club 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. Cruz Azul also holds the distinction of being the club with the most league runner-up finishes (12), and the first team from CONCACAF to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores.

Did You Know?

• Cruz Azul 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.
• Cruz Azul maintains a long-standing rivalry with América, a fixture commonly known as the Clásico Joven.
• According to several polls, Cruz Azul is the third-most popular team in Mexico, behind only América and Guadalajara.

Origins as a Worker-Owned Cooperative

Cruz Azul's foundation is deeply rooted in labor solidarity rather than traditional corporate sponsorship. Established in Jasso, Hidalgo, in 1927, the club emerged from the Cooperativa La Cruz Azul cement plant after workers successfully lobbied to prioritize football over baseball. The organization faced an existential crisis during the Great Depression when a rival firm attempted to acquire and liquidate the cooperative. However, 192 employees unionized, sued the executives, and won a landmark legal victory that granted them collective ownership of the industrial facilities in 1932. This unique worker-owned structure defined the club's identity for decades, fostering a strong working-class facade. Under General Manager Guillermo Álvarez Macías, who rose from an automotive mechanic to leadership, profits from the team were reinvested directly into improving living conditions for employee-players. This model transformed the cooperative into a functioning town focused on social and economic progress, distinguishing Cruz Azul as a community-driven entity long before it relocated to Mexico City in 1971.

Unparalleled Continental Dominance

On the international stage, Cruz Azul stands as a statistical giant within CONCACAF history. The club holds the joint-record for the most titles won in the CONCACAF Champions Cup and its successor competitions, amassing seven continental championships. Their historical significance extends beyond mere numbers; they were the first team from the North American region to reach the final of South America's prestigious Copa Libertadores. Perhaps their most remarkable achievement occurred during the 1968–69 season when they secured a continental treble by winning the Primera División, Copa México, and the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. This feat made them the first club in CONCACAF history to accomplish such a triple crown and only the third worldwide at the time. Uniquely, Cruz Azul later became the first team globally—and one of only five ever—to win this continental treble twice, cementing their legacy as a dominant force that consistently outperformed regional rivals on the world stage.

Domestic Consistency and Historic Rivalries

Within Mexican football, Cruz Azul is synonymous with elite consistency and fierce competition. As one of only seven clubs never to suffer relegation from Liga MX's top flight, they have maintained a permanent presence at the highest level since their move to Mexico City. Their domestic trophy cabinet includes ten league titles, four Copa MX victories, and multiple Campeón de Campeones crowns. Despite this success, they also hold the record for the most runner-up finishes in league history with twelve second-place results, highlighting a career defined by near-misses alongside triumphs. The club's identity is further shaped by its intense rivalry with América, known as the Clásico Joven. Alongside Guadalajara and Pumas UNAM, Cruz Azul forms the 'Big Four' of Mexican football. While they are the third-most popular team nationally, within the Mexico City metropolitan area, they command the second-largest fanbase behind only América, solidifying their status as a central pillar of the capital's sporting culture.

Global Recognition and Modern Status

In recent years, Cruz Azul has received significant international validation for its historical contributions to football. In 2026, the International Federation of Football History & Statistics ranked them as the 71st-best club in the world. More notably, they were recognized as the highest-ranked club within the CONCACAF region for the 2025 calendar year, underscoring their enduring prestige relative to other North and Central American teams. The organization has undergone several name changes throughout its century-long existence, evolving from Club Deportivo, Social y Cultural Cruz Azul in 1927 to its current designation, Club de Futbol Cruz Azul S.A. de C.V., adopted in 2022. Despite these administrative shifts and their relocation from Hidalgo to Mexico City in 1971, the club continues to compete at Estadio Azteca. Their sustained popularity and high global ranking reflect a legacy that transcends local borders, maintaining relevance as a premier institution in modern football.