Normally here at SportsLogos.net, we try to be selective about the soccer leagues we cover — there are just so many of them around the world, we have to draw the line somewhere. But when this story from Mexico popped up, it was just too bonkers to resist.
Mexican kit manufacturer Charly — who created Liga MX’s kits for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game in August — has tag-teamed with Mexican professional wrestling promotion AAA to produce brightly coloured lucha libre-inspired third jerseys for six Liga MX clubs. The kits will be worn during the clausura — or second half — of the 2021-22 Liga MX season, set to begin in January.
The kits were unveiled on Wednesday, Dec. 1, along with special masked luchadores created to represent each club. Each jersey features a lace-up collar, meant to mimic the laces in the back of a traditional lucha libre mask.
CLUB DE FÚTBOL PACHUCA
CF Pachuca is based in Pachuca, the capital city of the state of Hidalgo. Their jersey features sky blue and pink graphics all over. The club’s nickname is Los Tuzos (“the Gophers”), which may stem from the club’s origin as a collection of mine workers. The club’s luchador is Super Tuzo, who sports a mask with fur and gopher teeth.
CLUB LEÓN
Club León is based in León, the capital city of the state of Guanajuato. They recently won the 2021 Leagues Cup, contested between Liga MX and Major League Soccer teams, with a 3-2 win over Seattle Sounders FC. Their jersey is predominantly black, with a green mask graphic all over. The club’s luchador is Leónidas, who sports a black and green lion mask with a green mohawk.
CLUB SANTOS LAGUNA
Club Santos Laguna is based in northern Mexico and represents the Comarca Lagunera region, which includes the municipalities of Torreón, Gómez Palacio and Lerdo. Their jersey is mostly white, with a large green mask and green stripes radiating out from behind it. The name of the club’s luchador, Espíritu Guerrero (“Warrior Spirit”), is a play on the club’s nickname, Los Guerreros (“the Warriors”). His mask features green and white hoops, mirroring Santos Laguna’s usual home kit pattern.
CLUB TIJUANA XOLOITZCUINTLES DE CALIENTE
Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente — commonly known as Club Tijuana or Xolos — are based in Tijuana, near the U.S. border. They are named after the Xoloitzcuintle, the national dog breed of Mexico. Their jersey is black with red trim, and a tonal graphic of a lucha libre mask covering the front. The X on the mask of club luchador Rey Xolo mirrors the one found on the front of Xolos’ 2021-22 home kit.
ATLAS FC
Atlas FC is based in Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco. Their jersey has a yellow base, with red text emulating a lucha libre poster on one half and blue text on the other. The mask of club luchador El Académico mirrors the half-red, half-black motif in Atlas’s crest and on their usual home kit, and his name comes from Atlas’s renowned youth academy.
QUERÉTARO FC
Querétaro FC is based in Querétaro City, the capital of the state of Querétaro in central Mexico. Their jersey features sky blue and white stripes containing contrasting mask graphics. The stripes also appear to contain cockscomb or rooster tail graphics, possibly referring to the club’s nickname of Los Gallos Blancos (“the White Roosters”). The club’s luchador, Resistencia Eterna (“Eternal Resistance”), seems to be named after one of the club’s most fervent supporters’ groups, Resistencia Albiazul (“White and Blue Resistance”).
The Charly-AAA collaboration is part of celebrations marking AAA’s 30th anniversary in 2022. At this point, it’s unclear if the luchadores representing each club will actually compete in a AAA ring. In the past, however, AAA has featured Marvel-inspired characters at high-profile events as part of a partnership with the comic book company.
This is not the first time soccer and wrestling have crossed paths recently. In August, World Wrestling Entertainment announced it would sponsor seventh-tier English side Enfield Town FC for 2021-22, emblazoning their NXT UK brand logo on the front of the club’s home shirts. In 2019, WWE opened a training centre near Enfield Town’s home stadium in north London.
The timing of the kit announcement was fortuitous for AAA, as they are hosting a major lucha libre event, Triplemanía Regia II, this Saturday (Dec. 4) at the Estadio de Béisbol Monterrey. That card will be headlined by a five-way match for the vacant AAA Mega Championship featuring Hijo de Vikingo, Samuray del Sol, Jay Lethal, Bobby Fish, and Bandido.
Feature graphic courtesy @CharlyFutbol / Twitter; all other graphics courtesy Charly.com