Long known as an ambitious club on the field, Monterrey is looking to establish itself beyond Mexico, with the United States a huge point of emphasis.
Monterrey’s run of success in recent years puts the Liga MX side in a curious position: the club’s consistency over the last 15 years, and its ability to bring big names to Mexico compares favorably to any of the country’s traditional giants.
The next step is breaking into the sort of cultural space that Club América and Chivas have long enjoyed, where the club’s footprint can be found across Mexico, and in the U.S. as well.
A day before Monterrey claimed a first-leg victory over Inter Miami in the Concacaf Champions Cup, Pro Soccer Wire spoke with the club’s executive vice president Pedro Esquivel at the club’s hotel in Fort Lauderdale.
Per Esquivel, the club’s goal is straightforward: Monterrey wants to be the go-to Liga MX side for fans living in the U.S.
“Our intention is to build and to expand our brand to the U.S.,” explained Esquivel. “When you like sport, you always have your team, but you always have another team from other leagues you like.
“So for us it’s very important to position Rayados as a team for all the people that have team in the U.S. — a team from MLS, a team from other leagues — but to ensure that Monterrey is the favorite team in the Mexican league.”
The club sees this moment — one where Liga MX and MLS are both growing just as the 2026 World Cup will bring matches to Monterrey’s stunning Estadio BBVA — as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Monterrey to become more of a cultural phenomenon with serious relevance in the United States.
That all starts by showing a growing audience that it is a consistent winner.
“For us the Champions Cup — and also the Leagues Cup and also the Club World Cup that is going to [happen] next year here in the U.S. — are very important,” said Esquivel. “We know that soccer is growing [unlike] any sport in the U.S., growing with young [people], and there’s more and more people playing, following soccer in the U.S.
“So that’s why these tournaments, Champions Cup, Leagues Cup are very important for us, because we know the Mexican league is one of the most important leagues in terms of ratings in the U.S., not only with Mexicans or second- or third-generation, but also with [everyone else].”
Monterrey, having observed past attempts from Liga MX sides to become more popular in the U.S., has set up a multi-point plan that extends from youth academies all the way up to its TV deal and regularly lifting trophies.
Esquivel listed off aspects of the plan, which include both expanding and diversifying an academy plan that includes a footprint in expected soccer strongholds like Texas and California, but also in places like Chicago, Delaware, and Washington state.
In some cases Monterrey has established its own academy, while in others — like a partnership with USL Championship club North Carolina FC — the club has chosen to affiliate with existing programs. Monterrey will also hold at least five Rayados-branded youth tournaments across the U.S. to further its attempts to appeal to young fans.
“One of the first things is to have this presence with young players with these academies,” explained Esquivel. “[If] we [win] that battle with the young players and with the young fans, we are going to stay there with them for the future.”
Next up? Making sure Monterrey matches are easy to find for soccer fans of all stripes. In July 2023, Rayados signed a multi-year deal with TelevisaUnivision, ensuring that prospective fans can regularly watch the club just about anywhere in the United States.
“The deal that we closed with the broadcaster Televisa, [which is] Univision in the U.S., we know that one of the ways to build awareness of our team is to have a presence,” said Esquivel. “That’s why we signed with Univision last year, to ensure that we have presence in more houses in the U.S.”
Monterrey’s women’s team is also a factor, with Esquivel noting that “it’s also helping us to attract different kinds of fans, because the fans are different from the men’s team, and also is related to our strategy to build inclusion and to ensure that we have this step in women’s soccer.”
Las Rayadas, as one of Liga MX Femenil’s most successful sides, will take part in the NWSL x Liga MX Femenil Summer Cup. Moreover, Esquivel says the club has been intentional in scouting Mexican-American players as prospects to join the club, with its academy network playing a major role.
Monterrey has already secured U.S.-exclusive sponsors as well, and Esquivel says all of these moves are based on the idea that consistency over the long term will give the club the popularity in the U.S. it craves.
“We know that it’s going to be a long-term run,” said Esquivel. “It’s a big investment. We need to ensure that with these actions and with this activities — but also having a winning team — it’s going to be the connection for the future.”
With all of that on the club side, Monterrey still has another massive showcase coming up in the form of World Cup matches at Estadio BBVA. It’s clearly a point of enormous pride for the club, and a chance to show the larger world that Mexican soccer can be just as cutting-edge as what’s found in Europe.
“We are very happy to be part of this event, to be part of this great World Cup,” said Esquivel, grinning at the thought. “We have, I think, the most impressive infrastructure in our facilities in Mexico. All the players that came from Europe [to play for Monterrey] and other countries said that we have facilities that don’t exist, even in clubs in Europe.
“So it’s a great opportunity also to show the world the way that we do things in the club, and of course, not only to be interesting for players coming from other countries, other leagues, but also to show the world that in Mexico, we really believe in investment and development of the game.”
The vice president noted that when Monterrey began conceptualizing its move to Estadio BBVA, big events like the World Cup were in the plans. Esquivel said that securing hosting rights is partially down to the stadium and the club’s top-of-the-line facilities, but is also a function of the city’s relationship with soccer.
“I think there are two things: the way that the stadium was built, and the environment, the way that we live the game in the stadium, the fan base and the way that soccer is lived in the city,” asserted Esquivel. “These two things were very important for FIFA, for the Mexican Federation, to put Monterrey [forward] as one of the cities to receive the World Cup.”
[lawrence-related id=59904,55752,49202]
