Back to the trend of the day: Mexico's league leader América visits third-place Atlas in Guadalajara

Poly Rating · from the trend of the day

Liga MX Table Standings 2026: Who Beats Their Budget

Querétaro has 20 points from a squad Transfermarkt values at €23.7m, less than a fifth of América's €131.2m, but two separate xG models say it has earned only 14 to 15.

No. 1: Atlas
10 places
Current as of October 21, 2026, 23:15 EDT

01Final list

The leading AIs each built their own list of ten independently. Here is one result that is easy to check: every place has a reason, a source, and the list of AIs that included it.

Order: from most to least AI agreement.

A bright badge means this AI put the entry on its list. A dim badge means it did not.

1
Atlas
21 points and 3rd–5th, but its xG difference ranges from +0.3 to −5.0 across models. Its squad value is also disputed: €32m to €49m, which ranks it anywhere from 9th to 15th.
Included it: Claude, Gemini, Nova, ChatGPT, Grok, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, MiMo.
In their lists: Claude: 1 · Gemini: 1 · Nova · ChatGPT: 4 · Grok: 3 · DeepSeek: 2 · Wenxin: 2 · Qwen: 5
What each AI noted 8
- Claudeplace 1
  3rd in the table on the 15th-highest squad value (€32.3m), with a goal difference of only +1.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 1
  Sitting 3rd with 21 points despite fielding the 12th-priced squad (€37.8M) and running a negative expected-goal differential of -0.22 per game.
- Nova
  Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
- ChatGPTplace 4
  Third-place ambitions rest on a near-even expected-goal balance, not on a dominant underlying performance.
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 3
  Joint 3rd-5th on 21 points despite a €49.4m squad and heavily overperforming xPts
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 2
  Atlas sit in the Liguilla places with a −3.2 xGD, the widest table-versus-underlying gap in the top half.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 2
  3rd with a mid-table budget — home fortress bends the odds
- Qwenplace 5
  Third-to-fifth in the table while drawing massive Jalisco crowds, yet their underlying home play (1.00 PPG) suggests the road will get bumpy.
  Source ↗
8 AIs put it here
Source ↗
2
Tigres UANL
The 5th-most valuable squad (€76.3m) is 13th–14th on 14 points, or 0.18 points per €m. Its xG difference is near even (−0.4 to +1.3), so bad luck does not explain it.
Included it: Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, MiMo, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, Nova, Grok.
In their lists: Claude: 3 · Gemini: 4 · ChatGPT: 8 · MiMo: 4 · DeepSeek: 4 · Wenxin: 7 · Qwen: 2
What each AI noted 7
- Claudeplace 3
  5th-most valuable squad (€78.8m, or €75.3m in another list) but 13th in the table with 14 points.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 4
  Commands the 5th most expensive roster at €76.3M but drops to 8th in actual points despite dominating chances to the tune of a 3rd-best xG differential.
- ChatGPTplace 8
  A valuable squad and a fourteenth-place points return make Tigres a stronger candidate for improvement than its table position implies.
  Source ↗
- MiMoplace 4
  A €75.85m squad in fourteenth place — the most expensive mid-table team in Mexico, and one whose home crowd noticed first.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 4
  €76.3m buys 14 points: €5.45m per point, nearly five times Querétaro's cost.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 7
  5th with the league's second-biggest payroll — slightly under expectation
- Qwenplace 2
  The league's 5th most expensive squad is stranded in 14th place, bleeding points despite having the highest-paid attack on paper.
  Source ↗
7 AIs put it here
Source ↗
3
Querétaro
Its squad value is in the bottom three (€23.7m, 16th), yet it is 6th–8th with 20 points. Two xG models give only 13.9 and 15.2 expected points, so results are running ahead of play.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, Grok, MiMo, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nova, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 2 · ChatGPT: 1 · Grok: 1 · MiMo: see list · DeepSeek: 1 · Qwen: 1
What each AI noted 6
- Claudeplace 2
  6th on the 16th-highest squad value (€23.5m), with the league's best defence at 8 goals conceded after 11 games, but only +2 goal difference.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 1
  Twenty points from an estimated €17.75 million squad is the season's clearest case of results outrunning resources—and the underlying chances.
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 1
  20 points from a €23.8m squad — highest points-per-euro in the league while sitting 7th
  Source ↗
- MiMo
  Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
  see list
- DeepSeekplace 1
  A €23.7m squad has produced 0.84 points per €m — roughly 4.6× América's rate.
  Source ↗
- Qwenplace 1
  Sitting 8th in the league with the 16th largest payroll, the Rojinegros are the ultimate budget overachievers of the autumn.
  Source ↗
6 AIs put it here
Source ↗
More about the top three ↓
4
Club América
Top of both the table (24 from 11) and squad value (€131.2m), but it outscores both xG models by 4 to 5.5 points and gets only 0.18 points per €m.
Included it: Gemini, Nova, ChatGPT, Grok, MiMo, Wenxin. Did not include: Claude, Meta, DeepSeek, Qwen.
In their lists: Gemini: 10 · Nova · ChatGPT: 5 · Grok: 8 · MiMo: see list · Wenxin: 3
What each AI noted 6
- Geminiplace 10
  Leads the table with 24 points from 11 matches, yet their €131.2M payroll yields a league-low 0.18 points per million euros.
- Nova
  Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
- ChatGPTplace 5
  The league leader is also the most valuable attacking side by expected goals, but its four-point excess over expected points argues for some regression.
  Source ↗
- Grokplace 8
  Leaders with 24 points from the most valuable squad (€131m) while overperforming xPts by 5.5
  Source ↗
- MiMo
  Named differently in its own list: open the full list.
  see list
- Wenxinplace 3
  1st and 3rd richest — performance matches the chequebook
6 AIs put it here
Source ↗
5
Club León
4th on 21 points with only the 10th most valuable squad (€44.1m). xGscore puts it 3.5 points above its 17.5 expected, and Soccerhub ranks its xG difference 11th.
Included it: Grok, MiMo, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nova, ChatGPT.
In their lists: Grok: 2 · MiMo: 6 · DeepSeek: 5 · Wenxin: 5 · Qwen: 3
What each AI noted 5
- Grokplace 2
  4th in the table with a mid-pack €44m squad and positive recent form
  Source ↗
- MiMoplace 6
  Fourth on 21 points with the same goal difference (+3) as 16th-placed Pachuca — Leon simply never loses the small games.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 5
  A €44.1m squad is fourth with 21 points and a positive recent swing; the €2.10m-per-point model is working.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 5
  7th place but 6th richest — €m buying less than it should
- Qwenplace 3
  A top-4 league position bought with mid-tier money, fueled by the best home points-per-game rate (2.00) outside of Mexico City.
  Source ↗
5 AIs put it here
Source ↗
6
FC Juárez
Last on 4 points with the 11th–12th most valuable squad (€41.7m). The models disagree on why: 13.3 expected points (bad luck) against a league-worst −10.5 xG difference (deserved).
Included it: Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, Nova, Grok, MiMo, Wenxin.
In their lists: Claude: 5 · Gemini: 9 · ChatGPT: 3 · DeepSeek: 6 · Qwen: 4
What each AI noted 5
- Claudeplace 5
  11th by squad value (€42.1m) but bottom of the table with 4 points and a goal difference of -24.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 9
  Invested to reach a 10th-ranked squad value (€42.1M) but sits in 16th with just 9 points, underperforming their 9th-ranked xG generation.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 3
  Four points from 12 matches against 13.3 expected points is an enormous warning sign for finishing, defending and game-state management.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 6
  Juárez are last with 4 points and a −10.5 xGD, but their €41.7m squad is 11th — the most expensive bad team in the league.
  Source ↗
- Qwenplace 4
  Dead last with 4 points despite having the 12th most valuable roster in the country, proving that border money cannot buy cohesion.
  Source ↗
5 AIs put it here
Source ↗
7
Necaxa
17th on 9 points, yet two separate models say it deserved more: 15.8 expected points (Balonario) and the 4th-best xG difference at +4.3 (Soccerhub).
Included it: Gemini, ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Nova, Grok, MiMo.
In their lists: Gemini: 3 · ChatGPT: 2 · DeepSeek: 3 · Wenxin: 10 · Qwen: 8
What each AI noted 5
- Geminiplace 3
  Holds the league's 4th lowest squad valuation (€28.4M) yet clings to 7th place while recording an xG rank of 13th.
- ChatGPTplace 2
  Nine league points against 15.8 expected points: the underlying numbers describe a much less desperate season than the table does.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 3
  Necaxa's +4.3 xGD ranks fourth; their 9 points rank 17th — the biggest expected-points shortfall in the league.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 10
  10th place, 9th in value — the league's closest match to fair
- Qwenplace 8
  A €38.80m investment trapped in the relegation zone (17th) with only 9 points, the biggest financial underperformance in the autumn.
  Source ↗
5 AIs put it here
Source ↗
8
Puebla
The 17th most valuable squad (€20.8m) sits 12th on 16 points, or 0.77 points per €m. Its xG difference (−5.8) is 17th, but only one model gives that figure.
Included it: Claude, Gemini, DeepSeek, Wenxin, Qwen. Did not include: Meta, Nova, ChatGPT, Grok, MiMo.
In their lists: Claude: 6 · Gemini: 5 · DeepSeek: 7 · Wenxin: 4 · Qwen: 7
What each AI noted 5
- Claudeplace 6
  17th by squad value (€21m) yet 12th in the table, with a goal difference of -2.
  Source ↗
- Geminiplace 5
  Carries the lowest payroll and market valuation in the tournament (€21.5M) but has stolen 14 points to occupy 11th, outperforming their 17th-ranked metrics.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 7
  Puebla's €20.8m squad is 12th with 16 points; no other bottom-six budget has that many points.
  Source ↗
- Wenxinplace 4
  Bottom-3 club spending like a playoff side — spending without scoring
- Qwenplace 7
  Surviving in 13th place with the 17th cheapest squad in the division, keeping the relegation fight at bay on pennies.
  Source ↗
5 AIs put it here
Source ↗
9
Cruz Azul
The 2nd most valuable squad (€100.5m) is 2nd in xG difference (+6.1), but only 5th–6th on 20 points. Mundo Deportivo credits it with the league's most xG (24.2), though FotMob ranks Toluca first.
Included it: Grok, MiMo, DeepSeek, Qwen. Did not include: Claude, Meta, Gemini, Nova, ChatGPT, Wenxin.
In their lists: Grok: 9 · MiMo: 2 · DeepSeek: 9 · Qwen: 6
What each AI noted 4
- Grokplace 9
  6th on 20 points from the second-most valuable squad, with xG that slightly exceeds results
  Source ↗
- MiMoplace 2
  The league's best attack by expected goals (24.2) and by actual goals (27) sits sixth — the defending champions are being outrun by their own shot charts.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 9
  Cruz Azul's €100.5m squad is second in value and second in xGD, but only 5th in the table.
  Source ↗
- Qwenplace 6
  They lead the league in Expected Goals (17.5 xG) but sit 6th in the table, a classic case of expensive finishing letting down cheap luck.
  Source ↗
4 AIs put it here
Source ↗
10
Pumas UNAM
The 8th most valuable squad (€59.3m) is 11th on 16 points. Two xG models rate it worse still, at −5.0 and −5.5, so the table flatters Pumas.
Included it: Claude, ChatGPT, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nova, Grok, MiMo, Wenxin, Qwen.
In their lists: Claude: 8 · ChatGPT: 9 · DeepSeek: 10
What each AI noted 3
- Claudeplace 8
  7th-most valuable squad (€58.7m) sits 11th with a goal difference of -1, about 0.27 points per €m.
  Source ↗
- ChatGPTplace 9
  Sixteen points conceal a −5.0 expected-goal difference: the current return is better than the balance of chances suggests.
  Source ↗
- DeepSeekplace 10
  Pumas' €59.3m squad is 8th in value and 16th in xGD; 11th place flatters the underlying numbers.
  Source ↗
3 AIs put it here
Source ↗

02More about the top three

The ranking is above. Here is more about the three places at the top: what they are, why they are here, and what is worth knowing.

The three are measured differently: Atlas by points and a disputed squad value, Tigres by points per €m, Querétaro by points against xG-based expected points.

1Atlas

No. 1 — Atlas. On the lists of 8 of 10 AIs; median place there: 2. AIs put Atlas first because its 3rd-place table spot sits on a cheap squad and a thin goal difference, with the numbers disputed.

Did you know

Atlas won its first league title in 1950–51. Two years later it was relegated for the first time, after a 4–0 loss to Tampico. It came straight back up the next season.
Source ↗

What it is: Guadalajara club in Liga MX, third to fifth in the table.
Its edge: Its xG and squad value vary most between models, so its true level is least clear.
Who should know: Useful for fans doubting whether a high table spot will last.

Table rank vs squad value21 pts, squad €32m–€49m
HeadquartersGeneva

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

Atlas has scored 19 goals and conceded 18, a goal difference of just +1. The table position is built on narrow results, which fits the doubt over how well its play matches its place.
Source ↗

Did you know

Atlas's fan group La Barra 51 is named after the 1951 title. The derby with Guadalajara is said to be Mexico's oldest, dating back to 1916.
Source ↗

History

In 2025 owner Grupo Orlegi put Atlas up for sale, because Liga MX rules target owners of several clubs. Grupo PRODI took over after the Clausura 2026 tournament.
Source ↗ ✓ confirmed by several AIs

Keep in mind

Atlas changed coach just before the season. Diego Cocca, a two-time Liga MX champion with the club, was let go. Hernán Crespo is in his first job in Liga MX, so the team is still new.
Source ↗

Video: Tested at CERN: How The ATLAS Experiment Works · Adam Savage’s Tested

Compare the top three ↓

2Tigres UANL

No. 2 — Tigres UANL. On the lists of 7 of 10 AIs; median place there: 4. AIs put Tigres second because one of the league's priciest squads sits near the bottom, and its xG says bad luck is not the cause.

Did you know

The same stadium hosted five matches of the 1986 World Cup. One was the quarter-final where West Germany beat Mexico 4–1 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.
Source ↗

What it is: Monterrey club owned by a public university, with a very expensive squad.
Its edge: It gets the fewest points per euro of squad value of the three.
Who should know: Useful for anyone guessing which big-money team might climb back up.

Table rank vs squad value0.18 points per €m
HeadquartersMonterrey

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

After nine matchdays Tigres had 7 points, 16th, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 6 defeats. The squad was valued at about 77 million euros, the fifth most expensive in the league.
Source ↗

Did you know

Tigres' home, Estadio Universitario, was shared with its city rival. Between 1973 and 1980, C.F. Monterrey, the other top-flight club in Monterrey, also played its home games there.
Source ↗

History

In 1960 the Jabatos, a team with money problems, were turned into Tigres and handed over to the public Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León.
Source ↗

Keep in mind

Tigres had one point from a possible 12 after four rounds, their lowest tally in eleven years. They were led by interim coaches Hernan Elizondo and Carlos Turrubiates, and went out of the Leagues Cup without a win in regulation time.
Source ↗

Compare the top three ↓

3Querétaro

No. 3 — Querétaro. On the lists of 6 of 10 AIs; median place there: 1. AIs put Querétaro third because it earns 20 points on a bottom-three squad value, but xG says results are running ahead of play.

Did you know

Querétaro's Estadio Corregidora opened in 1985 and hosted four matches at the 1986 World Cup. The article says it was designed to fill in fifteen minutes and empty in seven. It seats 35,575.
Source ↗

What it is: Club from Querétaro city, 6th to 8th, with a very cheap squad.
Its edge: It wins the most points for the least squad money of the three.
Who should know: Useful for anyone wondering which cheap team may fall back soon.

Table rank vs squad value20 pts on a €23.7m squad
HeadquartersMexico

Wikipedia · Wikidata

Why it is here

Querétaro has 20 points from 12 games and sits 7th. The cheaper squad is ahead of Tigres, who have 14 points from 13 games.
Source ↗
Querétaro has scored 16 goals and conceded 15, a goal difference of +1. That is a thin margin for 20 points, so the result may be running ahead of the football played.
Source ↗

History

Querétaro were set to be relegated in 2013, but stayed in Liga MX after buying Jaguares de Chiapas’s franchise. Their survival came through a change of ownership, not their league result. — (voice only)
Source ↗ ✓ confirmed by several AIs

Keep in mind

Querétaro has one of the three lowest-valued squads of the 18 teams. Record also says it still has to keep its form up in the final stretch. Its next game, at Santos, was called the first test.
Source ↗
The 5-0 loss at Santos was costly. Diego Reyes was sent off at minute 67, and the report says the result badly hurt Querétaro's goal difference. The team stayed on 20 points.
Source ↗

What people say

"Todo apunta a que si los Gallos mantienen la inercia que han tenido hasta ahora estarán en la Liguilla" — Higinio Robles León (Milenio columnist)
Source ↗

Where to go further

Start with the club's 1950 founding and its 2016–2017 Copa MX and Supercopa MX wins. Then read about Estadio Corregidora, which opened in 1985 and hosted four matches at the 1986 World Cup. — (voice only)
Source ↗

ChatGPT, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen put it first. What they saw in it

ChatGPT: Twenty points from an estimated €17.75 million squad is the season's clearest case of results outrunning resources—and the underlying chances.
Grok: 20 points from a €23.8m squad — highest points-per-euro in the league while sitting 7th
DeepSeek: A €23.7m squad has produced 0.84 points per €m — roughly 4.6× América's rate.
Qwen: Sitting 8th in the league with the 16th largest payroll, the Rojinegros are the ultimate budget overachievers of the autumn.

Video: La Historia COMPLETA de Querétaro en 30 Minutos · Frontera Oculta

Compare the top three ↓

The top three side by side

	Atlas	Tigres UANL	Querétaro
In the AIs' lists	8 / 10	7 / 10	6 / 10
Table rank vs squad value	21 pts, squad €32m–€49m	0.18 points per €m	20 pts on a €23.7m squad
Headquarters	Geneva	Monterrey	Mexico
Put first by	Claude, Gemini	—	ChatGPT, Grok, DeepSeek, Qwen

Places with the same number of AIs are ordered by their average place in the AIs' own lists.

03Worth knowing

What the AIs noticed while building the list.

Querétaro gets 0.84 points per €m from a €23.7m squad. América gets 0.18 from €131.2m, a 4.6-fold efficiency gap that the table alone hides.

Noticed by:

Included it: Claude, Grok, DeepSeek. Did not include: Meta, Gemini, Nova, ChatGPT, MiMo, Wenxin, Qwen.

01Final list

Atlas

Tigres UANL

Querétaro

Club América

Club León

FC Juárez

Necaxa

Puebla

Cruz Azul

Pumas UNAM

02More about the top three

1Atlas

Did you know

2Tigres UANL

Did you know

3Querétaro

Did you know

The top three side by side

More ratings

03Worth knowing

04How we counted

1The question

2Why this topic

3Where it applies

4What we looked at

5Who ranked

6How the places were set

05Each AI's own list

What Claude noticed

What Gemini noticed

What ChatGPT noticed

What Grok noticed

What MiMo noticed

What DeepSeek noticed

What Wenxin noticed

What Qwen noticed