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The top European stars who have played in Liga MX

When European players look to further their careers outside the continental scene, they are often found in big-money deals in the Middle East, Asia or maybe the US. Some, though have shunned the big bucks to play in leagues where football reigns king – like in Mexico. Mexico’s Liga MX has been a surprisingly popular destination for European stars with top names heading there since the 1970s. With legendary names from both yesteryear and today having plied their trade in one of football’s most passionate heartlands, there are many stories that have gone untold. So what are some of the biggest European names to appear in Liga MX?

 

Eusebio

One of the greatest strikers to ever play the game, Eusebio dominated the 1960s and 1970s and was a star across the world. Having spent over a decade shattering records with Benfica, Eusebio decided for a big change as he reached the twilight of his career. Heading stateside in 1975, he had some brief outings in the NASL with the Boston Minutemen before heading south to Mexico. It was here where he appeared for Monterrey playing 10 games for them. Despite scoring just one goal for Los Rayados, it was enough to help them finish top of the 1975-76 regular season although they would lose in the final stages to Cruz Azul. At the end of the season, Eusebio returned to the NASL with Canada’s Toronto Metros in 1976. It was still a worthwhile appearance in Mexico for the legendary striker who remains the only Portuguese player to appear in the Mexican top flight.

 

Pep Guardiola

Before his revolutionary step into management, Pep Guardiola was a skilful midfielder who had starred for the likes of Barcelona and Roma. The Spanish international ended his career though with some treks across the planet. After a two-year spell in Qatar with Al-Alhi between 2003-2005, Guardiola crossed the Atlantic and headed to Mexico. It was here in 2005 that he signed for Dorados Sinaloa. By far the biggest attraction for the Culiacan-based side, Guardiola made 10 appearances for Dorados across the 2005-06 season. It was enough to help the side fight for mid-table spots however the aggregated relegation system at the time still saw them relegated that season. Guardiola retired at the end of that season having sampled life in a Latin league away from his Hispanic homeland.

 

Mauro Camoranesi

For some players, an appearance in Mexico has been a platform to earn a big-money move to Europe itself. There’s no finer example of this than Italy international Mauro Camoranesi. The Argentine-born winger put himself onto the big stage with talented performances in Liga MX for much of the late 1990s. After a brief time with Santos Laguna in 1996, it would be with Cruz Azul where he found his best form. Playing mainly as a right winger, Camoranesi notched up double figure goal tallies in both his two seasons with Cruz Azul including 10 goals in the 1999-2000 season. As they finished second in the 1999 Invierno stage, he would leave to Italy to join Verona in early 2000 in Serie A. This would lead to him joining Juventus in 2002 and setting up his run in the spotlight.

 

Andre-Pierre Gignac

For modern footballers struggling for options in Europe, Andre-Pierre Gignac has proved you can still have an impactful career away from football’s spiritual homeland. Gignac had made modest strides with Marseille in the early 2010s and earned a spot in France’s national side. But his game hit a whole new level when he shockingly moved to Mexican side Tigres in 2015. The move to Monterrey has been a blessing for Gignac whose powerful figure and lethal touch have carved sides open season after season. In seven seasons, Gignac has scored 150 goals in 270 games hitting 20+ goal tallies in 4 separate seasons. His record was 28 goals during the 2015-16 season and he has won the Liga MX title no less than 4 times with Tigres. If you include the fact that the Frenchman has won 3 Golden Boot awards, 2 Best Forward titles and was named Liga MX All-Star in 2021, Gignac has proved just how rewarding Mexico can be for European stars in today’s game.