Could América lose points off the field? The Ícaro mistake that breaks Liga MX's Article 60
After Antonio Mohamed's complaint about the foreign-player quota, it emerged that Brazil's Ícaro da Conceição played six 2026 Apertura games for América wearing two different numbers (27 and 217), which clashes with Article 60 of the rules.
The controversy after the 2-2 draw between América and Toluca on Matchday 15 uncovered a regulatory problem at Coapa that goes beyond the foreign-player quota. Although Antonio Mohamed accused the Águilas of using ten foreigners in the 2026 Apertura, the club never exceeded the limit of nine active at the same time: after selling Sebastián Cáceres, it moved Brazil's Ícaro da Conceição to the U-21 squad to register Santiago Bueno and Santiago Ramos Mingo.
Two numbers in the same tournament
However, that administrative move caused a serious mistake with the Brazilian midfielder's shirt numbers. In the early rounds, Ícaro played four first-division games (against Querétaro, Atlante, San Luis and Puebla) wearing 27, but after being moved to the U-21s he played again for the first team against Cruz Azul and Necaxa wearing 217.
Ícaro's six games with América in the 2026 Apertura.
| Match | Ícaro's number | Registration |
|---|---|---|
| vs. Querétaro | 27 | First team |
| vs. Atlante | 27 | First team |
| vs. San Luis | 27 | First team |
| vs. Puebla | 27 | First team |
| vs. Cruz Azul | 217 | U-21 |
| vs. Necaxa | 217 | U-21 |
What the rules say
Article 60 of the Competition Regulations states that "under no circumstances and without exception may the same player use two different shirt numbers during the same Tournament," unless there is written and justified authorization from Liga MX. In addition, three-digit numbers are reserved for academy players coming through the youth ranks, a condition that clashes with his original first-team registration.
"Under no circumstances and without exception may the same player use two different shirt numbers during the same Tournament."
The possible sanction
Under Articles 60 and 61 of the Sanctions Regulations, fielding a player with a number different from his original registration is punishable by anything from a fine of 1,000 UMAs to a possible loss of points, a major risk heading into the Liguilla given that the Águilas won four of the six games the Brazilian played in.
Sources: Fox Sports: Pantera Zúñiga and Ícaro removed by América for the rest of the 2026 Apertura
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