Developing talent or just ticking a box? The young players behind Liga MX's Minors Rule
Castañeda and De Nigris are examples of players given a few minutes simply to meet the rule. Other youngsters have kept adding playing time, though opportunities vary even within the same team.
The Minors Rule requires clubs to accumulate 1,170 minutes, with a maximum of 225 counted per match. That cap means the time credited toward compliance can differ from the minutes players actually log.
Emiliano Castañeda made his debut for Cruz Azul on Matchday 3, and Aldo Patricio de Nigris debuted for Monterrey on Matchday 4. As of Oct. 27, the two have combined for just 31 Liga MX minutes, and neither has made a second appearance this tournament.
Their teams, along with Querétaro, are among the 10 clubs that have yet to meet the Minors Rule requirement for the Apertura 2026. Tracking their debutants shows that handing young players a debut and giving them continuity are two very different things.
How playing time breaks down for seven of those players
| Player | Team | Matches | Minutes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emiliano Castañeda | Cruz Azul | 1 | 4 |
| Aldo Patricio de Nigris | Monterrey | 1 | 27 |
| Omar Gálvez | Monterrey | 2 | 88 |
| Paxon Ruffin | Monterrey | 2 | 31 |
| Juan Carlos Martínez Jr. | Querétaro | 6 | 54 |
| Álex Alcalá | Querétaro | 8 | 235 |
| Denilson Muñoz | Querétaro | 5 | 174 |
A debut without continuity
Castañeda came on in the 86th minute against Atlante, and that remains his only Liga MX appearance. He has, however, kept playing for Cruz Azul Hidalgo in the Liga de Expansión: on Sept. 26 he featured against Leones Negros. His development has continued outside the first team.
At Monterrey, De Nigris hasn't logged any more first-division minutes since his debut against Juárez. Ruffin is a different case: he only debuted against Pachuca on Matchday 12 and reappeared against Chivas, though both times off the bench.
There's also activity in the youth ranks. On Oct. 24, De Nigris scored and Gálvez netted a brace for the Rayados U-21 side against Guadalajara. They're getting games, but still little continuity in the first division.
Same team, different opportunities
Querétaro offers another contrast: being called up repeatedly and getting on the field doesn't mean establishing yourself either. Juan Carlos Martínez Jr. has already made six appearances, all as a substitute, but his total playing time doesn't even add up to an hour.
Alcalá's path has been different: he has played in eight matches and has already gotten starts. Muñoz has also earned more minutes than Martínez despite appearing in fewer games. Within the same team, the opportunities come in very different sizes.
Handing young players a debut and giving them continuity are two very different things.
The numbers show debuts that have yet to turn into a regular place in Liga MX. It isn't enough for clubs to meet the rule: ideally, careers would be built and those debutants would be called up regularly, rather than settling for brief appearances and doing the rest of their development with affiliate teams. Only then will Mexico produce increasingly capable, better-developed players.
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