Liga MX owners are poised to pass a resolution that would permit a combined total of 10 foreigners and naturalized Mexican citizens in each first-division club, a source has told ESPN Deportes' Rene Tovar.
The resolution, expected to be passed at the next league owners meetings on May 25-26, would set the new limit for all players born outside of Mexico, instead of the current five foreigners and unlimited naturalized Mexicans currently allowed. It is unclear whether U.S. citizens of Mexican descent would be included as foreigners under the new rules.
According to an informal survey conducted by ESPN of various club presidents, the idea has been widely accepted among the club owners, with the issue one of concern to those in the Mexican game seeking to increase opportunities for younger Mexican players.
More than 30 percent of players in the Mexican League for Apertura 2015 were not born in Mexico, according to league figures.
Of the tournament's 475 players, 154 were not born in Mexico. The list includes 81 foreigners, 55 naturalized citizens and 18 players who have dual citizenship. Six teams have 10 or more players who were not born in Mexico: Tijuana, Querétaro, Cruz Azul, Atlas, America and Tigres.
Tijuana began the trend of dual-citizenship players by registering players born of Mexican parents as Mexico nationals. The club has the most non-Mexico born players in the top division.
Along with the five league-allowed foreign born players, Tijuana has four more naturalized players and another four players born in the United States whose parents are Mexican.
For the Apertura 2014 tournament, Liga MX rules were changed to allow naturalized Mexicans to play as domestic players as soon as they gained citizenship; previously, they had to complete five years in the country to count. The catch is that South Americans can obtain Mexican citizenship and count after just two years in the country.
Foreign-born players seek to become Mexican citizens to increase their potential value in the Mexican market and to free up one of the five foreigner spots each Liga MX club is allowed. Clubs can then dip into the cheaper Latin American leagues for cut-price reinforcements, rather than paying the high prices often quoted for Mexicans.
Chivas Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara told ESPN's Jorge Ramos y Su Banda that he is in favor of other clubs using all the foreign players they want to, arguing that it frees up more native Mexican players for his own club.
"The more foreigners the other teams have, the better it is for Chivas," Vergara said. "If they continue with the ridiculousness of having foreign players, we are going to show them all that we can win with an all-Mexican club. Just wait, once we have won a few championships and have shown what Mexican players can do, they will think twice about what they are doing."
ESPN FC's Tom Marshall contributed to this report.