Club America, commonly referred to as America or simply Las Águilas, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in Mexico. Founded in 1916, it is based in Mexico City, Mexico, and plays its home matches at the famous Estadio Azteca, which has a seating capacity of over 87,000.
Club America has a rich history, boasting 13 Liga MX titles, 6 Copa MX titles, 7 CONCACAF Champions League titles, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary manager Miguel Herrera, who led America to multiple Liga MX titles.
Known for its attacking style of play, the club has nurtured some of football’s greatest talents, including Cuauhtémoc Blanco, Salvador Cabañas, Hugo Sanchez, and Luis Roberto Alves 'Zague'. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, Club America remains one of the Mexico’s most valuable football clubs, with a national and international fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Mexican and world football.
Club America is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in Mexico. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the Club America Supporters Club (CASC), in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that Club America has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona and Real Madrid), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that Club America had the loudest fans in the Liga MX.
Club America was formed in 1916 as Club Union by the sons of the Rafael Garza Gutierrez, who owned a large printing press in Mexico. The team initially played games against other local teams, but on 12 October 1916, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the colours of the printing press—blue and yellow—they defeated Real Madrid' reserve team.
In October 1945, the impending resumption of football after the war led to the managerial appointment of Raúl Cárdenas, who demanded an unprecedented level of control over team selection, player transfers, and training sessions. Cárdenas led the team to second-place league finishes in 1947, 1948, and 1949, and to Copa México victory in 1954. In 1955, the club won the Primera División, its first league title for 39 years.
On 8 May 2013, Manuel Lapuente announced that he was to retire as manager at the end of the football season, but would remain at the club as a director and club ambassador. He retired as the most decorated manager in Mexican football history. The club announced the next day that Tijuana manager Antonio Mohamed would replace him from 1 July, having signed a six-year contract. Cuauhtémoc Blanco took over as interim player-manager 10 months later, on 22 April 2014, when Mohamed was sacked after a poor season in which the club failed to defend their Liga MX title and failed to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League for the first time since 1995–96.
Originally funded by the Televisa, the club became a limited company in 1927 and sold shares to local supporters. In 1959, majority ownership passed to Emilio Azcárraga Milmo who invested to save the club from potential difficulties, including future club president Emilio Azcárraga Jean. After his death in 1997, the club faced challenges yet again but was saved by Emilio Azcárraga Jean, who assumed control of the club after an investment. Azcárraga Jean promoted his son, Emilio Azcárraga Jean, to the board but the Azcárraga family retained ownership of the club through Emilio Azcárraga Jean's tenure, but the position of chairman passed to former player Yon de Luisa.
Promoted to the board after the 2005 financial crisis, Yon de Luisa, a friend of Miguel Herrera, began acquiring shares in the club; for an investment of approximately millions, he accumulated a significant shareholding and took control in January 2012. When Emilio Azcárraga Jean retired in January 2018, his shares passed to Yon de Luisa, who sold a percentage of his shares to Enrique Bonilla, in 2018; Enrique Bonilla went on to become chairman upon Yon de Luisa's stepping down. Media tycoon Carlos Slim attempted to buy the club in 2014, but did not meet Bonilla's asking price. In 2019, chairman Enrique Bonilla attempted to sell the club to Jorge Vergara for a significant amount, but the sale fell through and Vergara joined the board of directors instead.
Club America is one of the most successful clubs in Mexico in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Campeon de Campeones, which they won in 1927. In 1960, the club won their first league title and won the Copa Mexico for the first time the following year. Since then, they have gone on to win a record 13 Liga MX titles, and their total of 6 Copa Mexico titles places them among the most successful clubs in the competition. Those titles have meant the club has appeared multiple times in the Campeon de Campeones; of those appearances, Club America have won a record 7 times.
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Worldwide
Club America - Official Club History: Detailed information about the history, achievements, and iconic players of Club America. https://www.clubamerica.com.mx/historia/
Club America - Fans and Popularity: In-depth analysis of Club America's fan base, global popularity, and social media presence. https://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/news/club-america-the-club-of-the-century-in-concacaf-2745962
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