Club Tijuana

Mexican association football club

This article is about the men's football club. For the women's football club, see Club Tijuana (women).

Football club

Tijuana

Full name| Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente
Nickname(s)| Los Xolos[1]
El Xolaje (The Xolos-Crowd in Mexican Spanish)
La Jauría[2] (The Pack)
Short name| TIJ
Founded| January 14, 2007; 18 years ago (2007-01-14)
Ground| Estadio Caliente
Capacity| 29,333
Owner| Grupo Caliente
Chairman| Jorge Hank Inzunsa
Manager| Sebastián Abreu
League| Liga MX
Clausura 2025| Regular phase: 13th
Final phase: Did not qualify
Website| xolos.com.mx

Home colours

Away colours

Third colours

|
|

Current season

Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, simply known as Tijuana or Xolos, is a Mexican professional football club based in Tijuana, Baja California, that competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. The club was founded in 2007, it plays its home games at Estadio Caliente.[3][4] Its badge is the founder's (Jorge Hank) hairless Xoloitzcuintle, Hermoso.[5]

After winning the 2010 Apertura Tournament of the Mexican Promotion League, the club obtained the right to play in the promotion final against C.D. Irapuato, which it defeated to obtain promotion to play the 2011 Apertura Tournament. The team won the first title in its history in the 2012 Apertura Tournament of Liga MX.[6][7]

## History

[edit]

The club is the 2nd latest in a long line of league teams in the city of Tijuana. Gallos Caliente was instituted in the summer of 2006 but it disappeared that same year. Then some businessmen from Tijuana bought the Guerreros de Tabasco and moved it to Tijuana, becoming Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente. The team and owner announced the construction of Estadio Caliente, a new stadium with a capacity for 33,333 people near Grupo Caliente's Agua Caliente Racetrack. Jorge Alberto Hank, the son of Jorge Hank Rhon, is the president of the team. They became the Apertura 2012 champions after defeating Toluca 4–2 in a two-legged series.

The team advanced to the Primera División de México with a win at home over Irapuato, 2–1 on May 21, 2011.[8]

Jorge Alberto Hank and Gog Murguia Fernandez, the vice president, became the youngest executives in the history of Mexican professional football to be at the head of a club in the Primera División de México.

### The First Title

[edit]

Joaquín del Olmo promoted the club to Primera División de México in 2011.

The team obtained its first title in the Apertura 2010 tournament, after having finished as general leader during the regular tournament, which gave them a direct pass to the semi-finals. In the semi-finals the Xolos faced Albinegros de Orizaba. In both semifinal legs, the Xolos and Albinegros finished 0–0, with the aggregate score 0–0 too. The position that the Xolos had during the regular tournament permitted them to pass to the final against the Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. In the first leg the "Xolos" had a surprise win 0–2 in the Estadio Luis "Pirata" Fuente in Veracruz, while in their field they won again 1–0 and this way Tijuana obtained half a ticket towards the Mexican football maximum circuit, the Primera División Mexicana.[9][10]

The Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles played their first game in Mexico's Primera Division "We've just started". Estadio Caliente's capacity was increased after the team's promotion.

### Promotion to Liga MX

[edit]

The final of the Clausura 2011 of the Liga de Ascenso was between Tijuana and Irapuato. The first leg was played on Wednesday May 11 in Tijuana's stadium. The game finished 1–1. The second leg played was in Irapuato, in the Estadio Sergio León Chavez. Irapuato won the game 1–0, being crowned champion of the Clausura 2011 afterwards. With the Tijuana having won the Apertura 2010 title, the Promotion Final was going to be, yet again, Tijuana vs Irapuato. The first leg was played in Irapuato on Wednesday May 18 and it remained 0–0, with the second leg deciding what team was going to be promoted to the Primera División de la Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (now known as Liga MX).[11] Played in Tijuana's Estadio Caliente, the second leg saw the Club Tijuana being crowned champion of the Promotion Final with a result of 2–1. Thus Tijuana replaced the Necaxa as the new Primera Division Team in Mexico.[12]

### Liga MX Debut

[edit]

Kicking off their inaugural season in the Primera Division, Tijuana signed José Sand,[13] Leandro Augusto, Fernando Arce, Egidio Arévalo[14] and Dayro Moreno would move to Tijuana for a fee of US$3.5 m.[15] during summer 2011.

Tijuana opened the 2011–12 season with a 2–1 home loss to Morelia. American Joe Corona scored the club's first top-flight goal in the defeat. They would earn their first victory as a top-flight club in a 3–1 victory at Santos Laguna on August 6; however, after five consecutive home matches without a victory manager Joaquin del Olmo was sacked and replaced by Antonio Mohamed.

After having finished the 2011 Apertura with just three wins against nine draws and five losses, Tijuana would have more success in the 2012 Clausura. Behind the league's top defense (allowing just eleven goals in 17 matches), Tijuana finished with seven wins and seven draws against just three defeats and earned their first playoff berth in the top flight, where they would fall to Monterrey.

### Apertura 2012 Champions

[edit]

Xolos would continue their strong defense in the 2012–13 Liga MX season. In the 2012 Apertura, Xolos allowed joint-fewest goals with 15 while finishing tied atop the table with Toluca. Seeded #2 in the La liguilla, they would avenge the previous season's defeat to Monterrey before rallying from a 2–0 deficit against León in the semi-finals. They would win the Liguilla over Toluca with a 4–1 aggregate victory, achieving the title in the shortest time after promotion to the top flight in Mexican history.[16]

Xolos would falter in the Clausura, finishing in 10th place, two points outside of Liguilla qualification. However, invited to Copa Libertadores, Tijuana would make a run to the quarter-finals before falling to Atlético Mineiro.

## Stadium

[edit]

Main article: Estadio Caliente

The Estadio Caliente, a multi-use stadium in Tijuana, Baja California, was officially inaugurated on November 11, 2007, in a game between Club Tijuana and Pumas Morelos. The attendance was 13,333, then the stadium capacity. In July 2009, the capacity was increased to 16,000. Stadium owner Jorge Hank Rhon's main reason for constructing the stadium was his wish to have a professional football club in the city. Because the Mexican Football Federation says that teams participating in the First Division must have a stadium with a capacity over 15,000, Club Tijuana officially became qualified for promotion to the Primera División de México when the capacity was increased. The construction of the stadium was planned in two parts. The first part finished the ground and lower sections of the stadium. In the second phase, the stadium's capacity was increased.[17] Club Xoloitzcuintles added 4,000 seats to its home field of Estadio Caliente, pushing its capacity to 20,000, according to the team's management. The team also remodeled the players’ dressing rooms and resurfaced the dirt parking lot with a stone surface. Among the construction projects is the installation of stadium lights, which should not be an issue.[18]

A view inside Caliente Stadium in 2009.

## Institutional vision

[edit]

What first seemed to be a hobby to the football aficionado Jorge Hank Rhon, has now been projected as a business and institution with many ambitions by his son Jorge Alberto Hank Inzunza, President of Club Tijuana, and co-owner Alberto Murguia Orozco. The president has announced several times in press conferences that the project is far bigger than a stadium and a First Division team. The institutional plan involves football schools and clinics throughout the region, including San Diego and Los Angeles, professional football training, talent recruitment squads; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd division affiliates; foundations and green campaigns, and a heavily invested commercial complex.

## Finances and ownership

[edit]

Controversy surrounded the lease, because the team would have ties to a company whose major business is that of betting on sports events, including football. The case was presented to high authorities in the Mexican Football Federation, where it was ruled that no action would be taken against Xoloitzcuintles De Caliente or its parent company.

## Personnel

[edit]

### Current technical staff

[edit]

Position  | Staff

|

Head coach |  Sebastián Abreu
Assistant coach |  Roberto Cornejo
Goalkeeper coach |  Óscar Dautt
Fitness coach |  Raziel Alba
Physiotherapists |  Gustavo González
Raúl López
Team Doctor |  Carlos Rincón

### Management

[edit]

Position  | Staff

|

Chairman  |  Jorge Alberto Hank Inzunza
Vice-chairman  |  Gog Murguia Fernandez
General director  |  José Antonio Núñez
Director of football  |  Juan Pablo Santiago
Coordinator of football  |  Roberto Cornejo
Director of academy  |  Fernando Arce
Director of strategic planning  |  Jeronimo Vera
Director of marketing and commercialization  |  Esteban de Anda
Sports adviser  |  Ignacio Palou

Source: Liga MX

## Players

[edit]

### First-team squad

[edit]

As of 2 February 2025[19]

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

|
|
|

2  | GK |  MEX | José Antonio Rodríguez
3  | DF |  MEX | Rafael Fernández
5  | DF |  MEX | Rodrigo Parra
6  | MF |  USA | Joe Corona (captain)
7  | MF |  ECU | Jhojan Julio
8  | MF |  MEX | Fernando Madrigal
9  | FW |  JAM | Shamar Nicholson
10  | MF |  MEX | Kevin Castañeda
12  | DF |  ECU | Jackson Porozo (on loan from Troyes)
13  | GK |  MEX | Miguel Ortega
16  | MF |  MEX | Jesús Vega
17  | MF |  MEX | Ramiro Árciga
18  | DF |  MEX | Aarón Mejía
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

19  | MF |  MEX | Gilberto Mora
20  | MF |  MEX | Francisco Contreras
21  | DF |  MEX | Fernando Monárrez
22  | DF |  URU | Joaquín Fernández
23  | MF |  MEX | Iván Tona
25  | DF |  MEX | Ramiro Franco
26  | FW |  COL | Raúl Zúñiga
27  | FW |  ARG | Domingo Blanco
28  | DF |  MEX | Alejandro Gómez
30  | GK |  MEX | José de Jesús Corona
31  | DF |  ESP | Unai Bilbao
34  | MF |  CMR | Frank Boya

For recent transfers, see List of Mexican football transfers summer 2024.

### Out on loan

[edit]

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 | Ignacio Castro (at Sinaloa)
—  | GK |  MEX | Ricardo Díaz (at Tepatitlán)
—  | DF |  COL | Kevin Balanta (at Defensa y Justicia)
—  | DF |  CHI | Nicolás Díaz (at Puebla)
—  | DF |  MEX | Abraham Flores (at Sinaloa)
—  | DF |  MEX | Alejandro Martínez (at Sinaloa)
—  | MF |  MEX | Eduardo Armenta (at Querétaro)
—  | MF |  MEX | Manuel Carrillo (at Sinaloa)
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

—  | MF |  MEX | Carlos Galicia (at Sinaloa)
—  | MF |  ARG | Federico Lértora (at Querétaro)
—  | MF |  CHI | Joaquín Montecinos (at O'Higgins)
—  | MF |  ARG | Lucas Rodríguez (at Querétaro)
—  | MF |  ARG | Carlos Valenzuela (at Querétaro)
—  | FW |  MEX | Arath Egaña (at Sinaloa)
—  | FW |  MEX | Jesús Hernández (at Sinaloa)
—  | FW |  MEX | Daniel Vázquez (at Sinaloa)

### Reserve teams

[edit]

Main article: Tijuana Reserves

Xolos Hermosillo
Reserve team that plays in the Liga TDP, the fourth level of the Mexican league system.

## Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

[edit]

Period  | Kit manufacturer  | Shirt partner  | Sponsors

|
|
|

2007  | Ardex | Caliente |
2007–08  | Atletica | Casas GEO/Nissan/TVC Deportes/Mexicana/Burger King
2008  | Voit |
2009–10  | Atletica | Casas GEO/Nissan
2011  | Kappa | Casas GEO/Nissan/TVC Deportes/Volaris
2011–13  | Nike | Casas GEO/ABC/Waldo's/Monte de Baja California
2013–14  | Nike | Boing!/Casas GEO/ABC/Calimax/ARCO/Grupo Eco
2015–2017  | Adidas | Boing!/Carl's Jr./Calimax/Farmacias del Ahorro
2017–  | Charly | Tecate/Afirme/Telcel/Carl's Jr./Nissan/Calimax/Coca-Cola/Powerade/Volaris/FOX Sports/Coppel/SuKarne/ABC/Gonher/Weber's Bread/Evervital RedNtense/Seguros Confie/BH Fitness/Petsa Express/King Xolo Locker Room

## Statistics

[edit]

### Friendly competitions

[edit]

Date  | Home Team  | Result  | Away Team  | Tournament  | Venue  | Spectators

|
|
|
|
|
|

March 26, 2023  | Club Tijuana  | 1–2  |  Club América | Tour Aguila  | Snapdragon Stadium | TBD
February 19, 2022  | Club Tijuana  | 2–3  |  San Diego Loyal | Club Friendly  | Torero Stadium | 4,500
July 10, 2021  | Club Tijuana  | 1–0  |  San Diego Loyal | Club Friendly  | Torero Stadium | 6,000
January 31, 2018  | Club Tijuana  | 2–3  |  Toronto FC | Club Friendly  | Torero Stadium | 6,000
December 28, 2013  | Club Tijuana  | 3–3  |  Club América | Los Angeles Clasico  | Dignity Health Sports Park | 25,000
October 13, 2013  | Club Tijuana  | 1–1  |  Santos Laguna | Club Friendly  | Toyota Field | \-
July 6, 2013  | Club Tijuana  | 5–2  |  Club América | San Diego Clasico  | Petco Park | 29,000
June 30, 2012  | Club Tijuana  | 1–1  |  Club América | San Diego Clasico  | Qualcomm Stadium | 19,880
February 22, 2012  | Club Tijuana  | 5–2  |  Chivas USA | San Diego Clasico  | Torero Stadium | 6,000
March 2, 2011  | Club Tijuana  | 2–2  |  LA Galaxy | San Diego Clasico  | Torero Stadium | 6,000

### International competitions

[edit]

Copa Libertadores  Year | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Stage

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2013 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 13 | Lost quarter-finals
Total | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 13 | 8 | +5 | 13 |
CONCACAF Champions League  Year | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Stage

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

2013–14 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 10 | Lost semi-finals
Total | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 15 | 8 | +7 | 10 |

## Records

[edit]

Raúl Enríquez, the Xolos top scorer of all time. Most goals scored  Rank  | Name  | Goals

|
|

1  |  Raul Enriquez | 81
2  |  Dayro Moreno | 47
3  |  Duvier Riascos | 23
4  |  Dario Benedetto | 21
5  |  Fidel Martínez | 21
Most Appearances  Rank  | Name  | Matches

|
|

1  |  Javier Gandolfi | 243
2  |  Juan Carlos Núñez | 221
3  |  Richard Ruiz | 191
4  |  Raul Enriquez | 190
5  |  Joe Corona | 180

## Honours

[edit]

### National

[edit]

Club Tijuana honours  Type  | Competition  | Titles  | Winning editions  | Runners-up

|
|
|
|

Top division | Liga MX | 1 | Apertura 2012 | –
Copa MX | 0  | –  | 2019–20
Promotion divisions | Primera División A/Liga de Ascenso | 1 | Apertura 2010 | Clausura 2009, Clausura 2011
Campeón de Ascenso | 1 | 2011 | –

## Managers

[edit]

* Víctor Rangel (2007)
* Wilson Graniolatti (2008 – 2009)
* Juan Antonio Luna (2009 – 2010)
* Joaquín del Olmo (2010 – 2011)
* Antonio Mohamed (2011 – 2013)
* Jorge Almirón (2013)
* César Farías (2013 – 2014)
* Daniel Guzmán (2014 – 2015)
* Rubén Omar Romano (2015)
* Raúl Chabrand (2015)
* Miguel Herrera (2015 – 2017)
* Eduardo Coudet (2017)
* Diego Cocca (2017 – 2018)
* Oscar Pareja (2018 – 2019)
* Gustavo Quinteros (2020)
* Pablo Guede (2020 – 2021)
* Robert Siboldi (2021)
* Sebastián Méndez (2021 – 2022)
* Ricardo Valiño (2022 – 2023)
* Miguel Herrera (2023 – 2024)
* Juan Carlos Osorio (2024 – 2025)

## Women's section

[edit]

Club Tijuana (Women), founded in 2014, that participated in the US-based Women's Premier Soccer League[20] in the summer and in the Liga Mayor Femenil in the winter. In their first year, they finished in the middle of the competitive Pac-South division of WPSL before becoming Mexican national champions.[21] Since 2017 participates in the Liga MX Femenil.

## In pop culture

[edit]

The 2016 documentary film Club Frontera by Chris Cashman focuses on the Xolos and the positive perspective of Tijuana.[22]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Liga MX: Know the Teams". 2 July 2021.
2. ^ "Liga MX 101: The terms you need to know". 17 January 2018.
3. ^ "Tijuana". Archived from the original on 2021-02-25. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
4. ^ "LIGA MX - Página Oficial de la Liga Mexicana del Fútbol Profesional".
5. ^ "The Legend Behind the Badge: Xolos de Tijuana". Alfalfa Studio. 2019-07-17. Retrieved 2022-04-25.
6. ^ "Xolos, campeones del Apertura 2012". 12 February 2012.
7. ^ "¡Historia de Éxitos!". Archived from the original on 2022-04-07. Retrieved 2020-09-02.
8. ^ Zamora, David (May 21, 2011). "Tijuana ya está en Primera División". Azteca Deportes. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved May 21, 2011.
9. ^ "Xolos vence 2-0 a Veracruz y tiene la mitad del campeonato - Terra México". Terra.com.mx. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
10. ^ "No se encontró la página | Futbol Total". Archived from the original on 21 February 2013.
11. ^ "Terra México - Noticias, Deportes, Entretenimiento y Estilo de Vida". Terra.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2012-09-17. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
12. ^ "FUTBOL-Tijuana sube por primera vez a máxima categoría en México". Reuters. May 21, 2011. Archived from the original on July 15, 2014.
13. ^ "Jose Sand Close To Join Tijuana". Club-Tijuana.com. 2011-06-30. Archived from the original on 2011-07-05. Retrieved 2011-06-30.
14. ^ "Egidio Arevalo Close To Join Tijuana". Club-Tijuana.com. 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2011-06-25.
15. ^ "Dayro Moreno se va con sus goles a México". El Colombiano. 2 June 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-10-18. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
16. ^ "Believe it: Tijuana Xolos are Mexican champs". UTSanDiego.com. 2012-12-02. Archived from the original on 2012-12-27. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
17. ^ "SÍNTESIS SEMANAL: México, en alerta epidemiológica por brote de influenza porcina :: El Informador". EL INFORMADOR. Informador.com.mx. Archived from the original on 2009-08-04. Retrieved 2013-07-10.
18. ^ http://www.noticiasmvs.com/noticias/deportes/FIFA-rechaza-a-Tijuana-como-sede-del-Sub-17.html [permanent dead link]
19. ^ MX, LIGA MX / ASCENSO. "LIGA MX - Página Oficial de la Liga del Fútbol Profesional en México .: Bienvenido". www.ligabancomer.mx. Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
20. ^ "WPSL WELCOMES NEW TEAM FROM SOUTH OF THE BORDER". WPSL. October 7, 2014. Archived from the original on October 15, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
21. ^ "XOLOS USA WIN NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN MEXICO". WPSL. December 29, 2015. Archived from the original on 2016-01-17. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
22. ^ Abnos, Alexander (2016-09-19). "In new documentary, the astounding rise of Club Tijuana explored in full". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2025-03-13.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Club Tijuana.

* Official Club Tijuana site (in Spanish and English)
* Primera División

* v
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* e

Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente

* Players
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Grounds|

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Rivalries|

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Liga MX

2025–26 clubs|

* América
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Former clubs|

* Ángeles de Puebla
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* BUAP
* Celaya
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* Cobras de Ciudad Juárez
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Competition|

* Final phase

Associated competitions|

* CONCACAF Champions Cup
* Campeones Cup
* Leagues Cup

*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
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*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template