La Gran Final 1985

Lore & Background

The club was founded in 1927 after a referendum among workers of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul. It won 15 consecutive amateur league titles in Hidalgo between 1932 and 1943. Cruz Azul earned promotion to the Primera División in the 1963–64 season and has since won ten league titles, four Copa MX, and holds the joint-record for most CONCACAF Champions Cup titles (seven). The club achieved a continental treble in 1968–69 and later became the first club worldwide to win the treble twice.

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 plays its home matches at Estadio Azteca. The club maintains a long-standing rivalry with América, known as the Clásico Joven. It is the third-most popular team in Mexico and the second-most supported in the Mexico City metropolitan area.

Did You Know?

• Cruz Azul is one of only seven Mexican clubs never relegated from the top flight.
• The club holds the joint-record for most CONCACAF Champions Cup titles (seven).
• Cruz Azul was the first CONCACAF club to reach the final of the Copa Libertadores.
• The club achieved a continental treble in 1968–69 and later became the first club worldwide to win the treble twice.

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.