Mexican League Must Debut Younger Players for Growth, Says Monterrey Coach Almeyda

Matías Almeyda, the Argentine coach of Mexican club Monterrey, stated that the Mexican football league needs to integrate younger players earlier in their careers to promote development. He believes the current trend of debuting players at older ages hinders the league's potential.

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The Mexican football must improve in the age at which players debut. They are debuting very old, and we need to shorten that debut margin. We need a league that debuts 17 and 18-year-olds, give them confidence.

"The Mexican football must improve in the age at which players debut. They are debuting very old, and we need to shorten that debut margin. We need a league that debuts 17 and 18-year-olds, give them confidence," Almeyda asserted during a press conference.

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I want to do it here. If I have a squad of many young players, instead of bringing in defenders or other positions, we must get results. The kids we have will have to play sometime, we will give them a chance, and it will depend on them. We need to reinforce, yes, but not fill up, because there is talent.

Almeyda, who joined Rayados for the Apertura 2026 season, plans to build his project around the team's young talent. He emphasized that instead of signing numerous players for various positions, the focus should be on developing existing youth. "The kids we have will have to play sometime, we will give them a chance, and it will depend on them. We need to reinforce, yes, but not fill up, because there is talent," he explained.

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I'm not going to bring players just to bring them; if a player is brought in, you can't make a mistake. In all the places I've been, I try to take care of the economy as if it were my own; I'm not going to ask for the sake of asking.

His previous success coaching Guadalajara, the only team in Mexico exclusively using national players, resulted in a league title and a CONCACAF Champions League title. Almeyda intends to replicate this philosophy at Monterrey, stressing careful economic management and avoiding unnecessary signings. He believes in long-term processes and is committed to developing homegrown talent, viewing it as his primary challenge.

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I am someone who believes in processes. They brought me here to be for two years, and in two years this team must become what I intend and what the directors want.