After several years of mid-table finishes, the 2022/23 LIGA MX campaign saw Toluca FC hit their stride, as the Red Devils managed consecutive high finishes - 6th place in the Apertura (going all the way to the play-off final) and up to 4th in the Clausura. They would lose out to eventual champions Club Tigres at the play-off stage.
In any case, last season has given fans hope that the team can return to the heights that saw them win consecutive titles from 1998 to 2000. The team’s unbeaten start to the new LIGA MX season so far will have only reinforced that.
The State of Mexico-based outfit will be looking to carry that form over to the international stage when they get the ball rolling on their Leagues Cup campaign this summer. Toluca FC featured in the Central 4 group, where they will take on **Nashville SC** on July 27, and then Colorado Rapids four days later.
Toluca FC’s consistent form is all the more impressive given the major turnover in personnel the team has seen over the off-season - all three of last season’s top scorers are no longer at the club. Nevertheless, several players have stepped up to the plate.
One of them is 23-year-old Uruguayan winger Maximiliano Araújo, who made an instant impact when he joined midway through last season from Puebla FC. One of the team’s younger prospects to keep an eye on is Marcel Ruiz, a 22-year-old Mexican international midfielder with a keen eye for goal. Here’s a look at the two emerging stars who’ll be looking to light up the Leagues Cup this summer.
Maximiliano Araújo - a rising Uruguayan star making his name in Mexico
After two years at Puebla FC, the 23-year-old made the short trip west to join the Red Devils. The fleet-footed wide man can occupy the entire left flank, although he is now more regularly deployed as part of the forward line.
In his first half-season with Toluca FC, the Montevideo, Uruguay native managed six goals and four assists, cementing his status as one of the league’s most dangerous operators. His form has seen him win over Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa, who handed the winger his first pair of senior caps for La Celeste back in June.
Marcel Ruiz
The 22-year-old joined from Club Tijuana ahead of the Apertura campaign last season, and has steadily seen his playing time increase. Across the two halves of the season, the midfielder made 40 appearances in total, finding the net five times and earning his first call-up to the senior Mexican national team back in March.
