Mexico launches antitrust investigation over alleged monopolistic soccer practices

Mexico’s National Antitrust Commission (CNA) has initiated an investigation into alleged monopolistic practices within the country’s domestic soccer market, according to a statement released on Monday. The probe comes in response to fan complaints regarding anti-competitive behavior.

The investigation specifically targets the lack of a promotion and relegation system in Mexican soccer. Second-division teams and players have been pleading for the right to advance to the top flight, a privilege they previously enjoyed. Some lower-tier clubs even sought assistance from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) last year.

While the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) agreed to restore the system in 2019, with plans to implement it by 2026, no concrete steps have been taken to reintroduce promotion and relegation. The 18 teams in the top division recently voted to suspend the practice for six years, claiming that it would help stabilize second-division clubs.

The CNA announced that sufficient evidence has been gathered to formally commence an ex-officio investigation into potential monopolistic practices within the professional soccer market in Mexico. They stressed that the inquiry does not presume guilt but warned that if evidence of anti-competitive liability is found, the FMF could face penalties equivalent to up to 10 percent of its annual revenue.