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FC Juárez

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Juárez
Full nameFútbol Club Juárez
NicknamesLos Bravos (The Braves)
Los Verdinegros (The Green and Blacks)
Short nameJUA, FCJ
Founded29 May 2015; 11 years ago (2015-05-29)
GroundEstadio Olímpico Benito Juárez
Capacity19,703
OwnerMountainStar Sports Group
ChairmanAndrés Fassi
ManagerGustavo Lema
LeagueLiga MX
Clausura 2026Regular phase: 12th
Final phase: Did not qualify
Websitefcjuarez.com
Current season

Fútbol Club Juárez, simplified as FC Juárez, and also known as Bravos de Juárez, is a Mexican professional football club based in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua. The club competes in Liga MX, the top tier of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez.

The club was founded in May 2015, competing in Ascenso MX. Four years later, Juárez secured a place in Mexico's top division by acquiring the Lobos BUAP franchise.[1]

History

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Early years

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FC Juárez, a professional association football club in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, was founded on 29 May 2015, by a group of businessmen led by Alejandra de la Vega. She previously managed Club de Fútbol Cobras, a now-defunct football team from Ciudad Juárez that was owned by her father, Federico de la Vega.[2] That same year, FC Juárez joined the Ascenso MX, Mexico's second-tier professional league, following the relegation and eventual disbandment of the previous local franchise, Indios de Ciudad Juárez.[3] They played their first match of the Apertura 2015 season against Lobos BUAP,[4] whom they defeated 1–0 at home in front of 16,000 spectators.[5]

On 7 June 2015, it was officially announced by the Ascenso MX officials that FC Juárez would compete in the Ascenso MX, starting in the Apertura 2015 season.

On 5 December 2015, after a very successful beginning to the season, the team ended the 2015 campaign in second place, and FC Juárez captured its first Ascenso MX title after beating Atlante 3–1 on aggregate, thus gaining the right to play in the promotional final in the Ascenso MX.[6] They failed to qualify for the Clausura 2016 liguilla and lost the promotional final against Necaxa.

The following season, Juárez failed to qualify for the liguilla. In the Clausura 2017 season, Juárez lost the final against Lobos BUAP with an aggregate score of 4–2.

For the 2017–18 Ascenso MX season, the league announced that Juárez was one of six Ascenso MX teams eligible for promotion to the Primera División de México the following season.[7] In the Apertura 2017 season, Juárez lost their second consecutive final, against Alebrijes de Oaxaca, on penalties.[8]

Promotion to top division

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On 11 June 2019, Juárez replaced Lobos BUAP in the Primera División after the founding bi-national group purchased the struggling franchise and relocated it to Ciudad Juárez, thus returning top-level football to Ciudad Juárez.[9][10]

In the Apertura 2022 season, FC Juárez came close to reaching the liguilla (playoffs) for the first time,[11] finishing 11th in the league standings and earning a place in the repechage play-in round.[12] In a single-leg match against Toluca at Nemesio Diez Stadium, they lost 3–0 and were eliminated.[13] In the Clausura 2025 season, FC Juárez again qualified for the repechage, finishing ninth in the standings, this time facing Pumas UNAM at home.[14] After drawing 1–1 in regular time,[15] the match was decided on penalties, with FC Juárez losing 1–2 and failing to advance.[16]

The team recorded its best Liga MX performance in the Apertura 2025 season, finishing eighth in the league table.[17][18] The result qualified the club for the repechage play-in round, where it defeated Pachuca 2–1 at home to secure its first-ever appearance in the liguilla.[19] FC Juárez was eliminated in the quarter-finals by Toluca, the defending champions, losing 1–2 on aggregate. FC Juárez lost the first leg at home 1–2 and drew 0–0 in the away match.[20] Toluca went on to win the tournament.[21]

In the Apertura 2026, FC Juárez recorded eight consecutive losses to open the season, their longest losing streak in Liga MX, and earning the league record for the longest losing streak at the start of a season.[a][22][23] The club became the first in the Apertura 2026 to dismiss their manager, parting ways with Pedro Caixinha after three matches.[24] Salvador Valero served as interim coach before Gustavo Lema was appointed, losing his first match in charge.[25]

Stadium

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FC Juárez play their home matches at the Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez in Ciudad Juárez,[26] owned by the Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ). The multi-purpose stadium features a football pitch and an Olympic athletics track,[27] and is situated within the Chamizal Public Federal Park [es], a city park connecting Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas, United States, adjacent to the Chamizal National Memorial. The land was formerly a disputed boundary area between the United States and Mexico.[28] Completed in October 1980,[29] the stadium held its inaugural match the following year between the Mexico national team and Atlético Madrid.[30] With a capacity of 19,703, it is the smallest stadium in Liga MX.[31]

The stadium was built on a 38,000 m2 (410,000 sq ft) area,[32] and its pitch is a grass surface measuring 105 m (344 ft) by 68 m (223 ft), maintained through two seasonal treatments annually to account for Ciudad Juárez's climate.[33] The stadium buildings house two gyms equipped for weight training and gymnastics.[32] Adjoining the stadium is the Collegiate Sports Unit (Unidad Deportiva Universitaria), a training complex opened to the public in 2017 that accommodates football, futsal, track and field, volleyball, and tennis.[27] The stadium's car park holds up to 1,500 vehicles.[34]

Support

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FC Juárez has a supporter group known as El Kartel,[35] a barra brava originally affiliated with the defunct Indios de Ciudad Juárez,[36] formed in the mid-2000s.[37] The group's name is a darkly humorous reference to the cartel violence that struck Ciudad Juárez during Mexico's drug war from 2007 to 2013 and to mock the local criminal group Juárez Cartel.[37][38] The support group's origins and activities are documented in the book This Love Is Not for Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez (2012) by American writer Robert Andrew Powell.[37]

El Kartel is closely affiliated with and inspired by the supporter group of Atlético Nacional of Medellín, Colombia, drawing on their experience given the two groups share a similar philosophy and historical context around the drug violence that affected both Ciudad Juárez and Medellín.[39] El Kartel have used the slogan Paz y Fútbol (English: Peace and Football) in fan banners.[40] The group holds a designated section in the stadium, travels to away matches, and organizes events for supporters including social gatherings, celebrations, and matchday displays.[41]

Rivalries

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FC Juárez has an international friendly rivalry with El Paso Locomotive,[42] a club based in El Paso and competing in the USL Championship, the second tier of the United States soccer league system.[43] The fixture is known as the Derby Paso del Norte, a reference to the El Paso–Juárez border region, with the derby's logo featuring the Star on the Mountain landmark in El Paso and La X sculpture in Ciudad Juárez.[44]

The two clubs first met in a friendly match in 2019 ahead of El Paso Locomotive's inaugural season, in which FC Juárez lost 1–3 while fielding mostly a reserve and under-20 squad at the Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez.[43][45] In 2024, the derby was played for the first time in the United States at the Southwest University Park in front of a crowd. Both clubs are owned by MountainStar Sports Group.[46]

Personnel

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Management

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Position Staff
Sporting Chairman Argentina Andrés Fassi
Corporate Chairman United States Luis Rodríguez
Director of football Spain Fran Sánchez
Director of academy Mexico Gabino Amparán

Source: Liga MX

Current technical staff

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Position Staff
ManagerArgentina Gustavo Lema
Assistant managersMexico Tomás Campos
Brazil Leandro Carrijó
Goalkeeper coachMexico Edgar Salcedo
Fitness coachMexico Néstor Ibarra
PhysiotherapistMexico Kevin Ponce
Team doctorMexico Álvaro Martínez

[47]

Managers

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Providers and sponsors

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The team's kit provider is Joma, a Spanish sports clothing manufactuerer.[48] Their sponsors are Caliente.mx, Azteca Deportes, Tubi, Fox Deportes, S-Mart, Volaris, Peter Piper Pizza, UACJ, Hágalo Home Center, Ruba, Sporade, Water House, Superette, Pancake Paradise, Del Río and Productos Lácteos Zaragoza.[citation needed]

Players

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First-team squad

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As of 12 September 2026[49][50]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  MEX Sebastián Jurado
2 DF  MEX Gilberto Sepúlveda (on loan from Guadalajara)
3 DF  COL Jesús Murillo
4 DF  MEX Alejandro Mayorga
5 MF  MEX Denzell García
6 MF  ESP Monchu (on loan from Aris)
7 MF  MEX Raymundo Fulgencio
8 MF  BRA Guilherme Castilho
9 FW  BRA Madson
10 MF  MEX Jairo Torres
11 MF  PAN José Luis Rodríguez
13 MF  BRA Rodrigo Dourado (on loan from América)
14 DF  MEX Éder López
15 MF  PAR Lucas Romero
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF  MEX Juan Sigala (on loan from Pachuca)
17 FW  MEX Luca Martínez (on loan from Godoy Cruz)
19 FW  COL Óscar Estupiñán
20 DF  MEX Javier Aquino
21 MF  POR Ricardinho
23 DF  MEX Haret Ortega
24 GK  USA Benny Díaz
25 MF  MEX Said Godínez
27 GK  ESP Guillermo Ruiz
29 FW  MEX Ettson Ayón (on loan from León)
33 DF  MEX Francisco Nevárez
35 DF  MEX Bryan Romero
— DF  CHI Daniel Piña


Out on loan

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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  MEX Abraham Nuño (at Tlaxcala)
— DF  MEX Ricardo González (at UAT)
— MF  MEX Israel Larios (at Atlético La Paz)
— MF  COL Homer Martínez (at Deportes Tolima)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  MEX Rodolfo Pizarro (at Pachuca)
— MF  COL Diego Valoyes (at Talleres)
— FW  MEX César Sosa (at UAT)

Honours

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Domestic

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Type Competition Titles Winning years Runners-up
Top division Copa MX 0 — Cla–2019
Promotion division Ascenso MX 1 Ape–2015 Cla–2017, Ape–2017
Campeón de Ascenso 0 — 2015–16

Notes

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  1. ↑ The record of seven consecutive losses at the start of a league season was shared with by Dorados de Sinaloa in the Clausura 2016 and Quéretaro in the Clausura 2019.

References

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  1. ↑ "Liga MX hace oficial mudanza de Lobos BUAP a Juárez" (in Spanish). ESPN México. 11 June 2019.
  2. ↑ Morales, Javier (12 June 2019). "Un bravo a detalle". Once Diario (in Spanish).
  3. ↑ "Ciudad Juárez tendría equipo en la División de Ascenso". Azteca Deportes. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Lugo, Erik Francisco (18 February 2021). "Mexico 2015/16". RSSSF.
  5. ↑ Rodriguez, Joe (27 July 2015). "FC Juarez Wins First Ever Match 1-0". KROD.
  6. ↑ "Cambios en el ASCENSO MX" [Changes in ASCENSO MX] (in Spanish). 7 June 2017. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "ASCENSO Bancomer MX Informa" (in Spanish). 20 July 2017. Archived from the original on 3 August 2017. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  8. ↑ "Alebrijes se Coronó en el Apertura 2017" [Alebrijes crowned in the Apertura 2017] (in Spanish). 4 December 2017. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018. Retrieved 4 December 2017.
  9. ↑ "Liga MX Clausura 2019 Bravos de Juárez es nuevo equipo de la Liga MX tras la compra de Lobos BUAP" [Liga MX Clausura 2019 Bravos de Juárez is new Liga MX team after the purchase of Lobos BUAP]. Marca Claro (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Bravos de FC Juarez Joins Liga MX". KROD. 11 June 2019. Archived from the original on 11 June 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2019.
  11. ↑ Figueroa, Fredi (24 April 2025). "Bravos sonríe al Play-In tras década de claroscuros". El Economista (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  12. ↑ Lugo, Erik Francisco (10 October 2023). "Mexico 2022/23". RSSSF.
  13. ↑ Carrillo, Héctor (9 October 2022). "'Infernal' Pase a la Siguiente Ronda". Liga MX (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  14. ↑ Maya, Erick (27 April 2025). "¿Qué pasa si hay empate en el Play In de la Liga MX? Estos son los criterios de desempate". Mediotiempo (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  15. ↑ Badillo, Mario (27 April 2025). "Pumas se impone al clima y con un jugador menos vence en penales a Juárez para avanzar en el Play-In". La Afición (in Spanish). Milenio. Archived from the original on 23 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Pumas provoca caos en Play-In y Alex Padilla emerge como héroe". ESPN México (in Spanish). 27 April 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  17. ↑ Olvera García, Marcos (24 November 2025). "Liga MX: FC Juárez tardó estos torneos en poder jugar su primera Liguilla". Récord (in Spanish).
  18. ↑ "FC Juárez califica a la primera liguilla en su historia". La Jornada (in Spanish). 23 November 2025.
  19. ↑ Ortega, Enrique (23 November 2025). "FC Juárez consigue victoria histórica en el Play in ante Pachuca". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish).
  20. ↑ Simón, José Luis (29 November 2025). "Toluca consiente demás a Bravos, no lo derrota, pero es semifinalista". Agencia Amexi (in Spanish).
  21. ↑ R. Yu, Kevin (14 December 2025). "Toluca es bicampeón de Liga MX tras vencer a Tigres con penales cardíacos". TUDN (in Spanish).
  22. ↑ Morán, Eduardo (13 September 2026). "Ocho y contando; Juárez ahora cae con Santos". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  23. ↑ Lozano, Luis Esteban (5 September 2026). "FC Juárez entra en lista negra de la Liga MX". Futbol Total (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  24. ↑ "Pedro Caixinha deja de ser técnico de FC Juárez; es el primer DT cesado del Apertura 2026 de la Liga MX". Marca (in Spanish). 2 August 2026.
  25. ↑ Morán, Eduardo (5 September 2026). "Suma Bravos siete derrotas al hilo". El Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  26. ↑ "Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, el poder de la frontera mexicana". Medio Tiempo (in Spanish). 14 July 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Unidad Deportiva Universitaria" (in Spanish). Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. Archived from the original on 26 January 2026. Retrieved 25 January 2026.
  28. ↑ Gomez, Eric (15 June 2019). "Futbol fronterizo: Bravos, el gran proyecto para el desarrollo de Juárez". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  29. ↑ Morán, Eduardo (11 May 2021). "¡De fiesta el Coloso de El Chamizal!". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  30. ↑ "Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez: Información General" (in Spanish). Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. Archived from the original on 6 September 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  31. ↑ "Liga MX: ¿Cuál es el estadio más chico?". Milenio (in Spanish). 17 July 2019.
  32. 1 2 Morán, Eduardo (3 August 2019). "El 'Coloso de El Chamizal'". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 26 January 2026. Retrieved 26 January 2026.
  33. ↑ Rodríguez, Jesús Ángel (20 March 2020). "Convierten cancha del Benito Juárez en alfombra verde". Diario de Juárez (in Spanish).
  34. ↑ "Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez" (in Spanish). Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez. Archived from the original on 7 April 2022.
  35. ↑ Powell, Robert Andrew (3 May 2016). "Life After Death in Juarez: Soccer Returns to a City Damaged by Narco Violence". Vice.
  36. ↑ Segura, Jonathan (28 March 2012). "Death, Drugs, 'Salvation And Soccer' In Juarez". NPR.
  37. 1 2 3 Rodríguez, Joe (8 October 2015). "FC Juarez Support Group Will Be A Treat To See". KROD. Archived from the original on 21 September 2019.
  38. ↑ Agren, David (29 January 2012). "Fans say adios to soccer team in Mexico". Toronto Star.
  39. ↑ Flores, Omar (3 April 2019). "El otro Kartel de Juárez que espera a Pumas". ESPN Deportes (in Spanish).
  40. ↑ Jennings, Patrick (25 January 2019). "Ciudad Juarez: Murder, drugs and football on the Mexican border". BBC News.
  41. ↑ Benavídez, Bethzaida (26 May 2026). "Afición de Bravos FC Juárez celebrará 11 aniversario con actividades frente al estadio". El Heraldo de Juárez (in Spanish). Organización Editorial Mexicana.
  42. ↑ Tiscareno, Alan (29 March 2024). "El Paso and Ciudad Juárez formalize soccer rivalry while celebrating the border". Texas Standard. Texas Public Radio.
  43. 1 2 "Friendly Rival On The Border". El Paso Locomotive FC. 14 February 2019. Archived from the original on 25 June 2021. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  44. ↑ Huichapa, Alberto (29 January 2024). "El Paso Locomotive FC, FC Juárez Formalize Rivalry as Derby Paso Del Norte". El Paso Locomotive FC.
  45. ↑ "El Paso Locomotive FC Make Strides In Cd. Juarez with 3-1 Win". KROD. 14 February 2019.
  46. ↑ Bloomquist, Bret (9 January 2024). "FC Juárez to play Locomotive at Southwest University Park". El Paso Times. Archived from the original on 11 January 2024.
  47. ↑ "FC Juárez". ligamx.net. Archived from the original on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  48. ↑ "FC Juárez wears Joma: discover the new official 2025/26 kits". Joma. 30 June 2025. Archived from the original on 6 September 2026.
  49. ↑ "FC Juárez". Ascenso MX. Archived from the original on 18 July 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  50. ↑ "Pierden Bravos ante Xolos". El Mexicano. 15 July 2017. Archived from the original on 12 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
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