Club Tijuana facts for kids
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| Full name | Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Xolos El Xolaje (The Xolos-Crowd in Mexican Spanish) La Jauría (The Pack) |
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| Short name | TIJ | |||
| Founded | January 14, 2007 | |||
| 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 |
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Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente, often called Tijuana or Xolos, is a professional football club from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. They play in Liga MX, which is the top football league in Mexico.
The club started in 2007. Their home games are played at Estadio Caliente. The team's badge features a hairless Xoloitzcuintle dog, named Hermoso, which belonged to the club's founder, Jorge Hank.
Xolos won the 2010 Apertura Tournament in Mexico's second league. This win allowed them to play for promotion to the top league. They beat C.D. Irapuato and joined the Primera División in 2011. The team then won their first major title in the 2012 Apertura Tournament of Liga MX.
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Club Tijuana's History
Club Tijuana is one of several football teams that have been based in Tijuana. Before Xolos, there was a team called Gallos Caliente in 2006, but it didn't last long. Later, some business people from Tijuana bought another team and moved it to Tijuana, renaming it Club Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles de Caliente.
The team's owner also announced plans to build Estadio Caliente. This new stadium would hold many fans. Jorge Alberto Hank, the son of Jorge Hank Rhon, became the president of the team.
The Xolos made it to Mexico's top league, the Primera División, on May 21, 2011. They won a home game against Irapuato with a score of 2–1. Jorge Alberto Hank and Gog Murguia Fernandez, the vice president, were some of the youngest leaders in Mexican football to guide a team into the top division.
Winning Their First Big Title
The team won its first major title in the Apertura 2010 tournament. They finished first in the regular season, which gave them a direct spot in the semi-finals. In the semi-finals, Xolos played against Albinegros de Orizaba. Both games ended 0–0, but because Xolos had a better record in the regular season, they moved on to the final.
In the final, they faced the Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz. Xolos surprised everyone by winning the first game 2–0 in Veracruz. Then, they won again 1–0 at their home stadium. This victory meant Tijuana was halfway to joining Mexico's top football league.
Moving Up to Liga MX
The final game to decide promotion to the top league was between Tijuana and Irapuato. The first game, played in Tijuana on May 11, ended in a 1–1 draw. The second game was in Irapuato, where Irapuato won 1–0 and became the champions of the Clausura 2011 tournament.
Since Tijuana had won the Apertura 2010 title, they had another chance to play Irapuato for promotion. The first game of this promotion final was on May 18 in Irapuato and ended 0–0. The second game, played at Tijuana's Estadio Caliente, decided everything. Club Tijuana won 2–1 and earned their spot in the Primera División de la Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (now called Liga MX). They replaced Necaxa as the newest team in the top division.
First Season in Liga MX
For their first season in the top league, Tijuana signed several new players. These included José Sand, Leandro Augusto, Fernando Arce, Egidio Arévalo, and Dayro Moreno.
Tijuana's first game in the 2011–12 season was a 2–1 loss at home to Morelia. American player Joe Corona scored the club's first goal in the top league during that game. Their first win came on August 6, a 3–1 victory against Santos Laguna. However, after five home games without a win, their manager Joaquin del Olmo was replaced by Antonio Mohamed.
In the 2011 Apertura, Tijuana only won three games, with nine draws and five losses. But they did much better in the 2012 Clausura. They had the best defense in the league, letting in only eleven goals in 17 matches. They finished with seven wins, seven draws, and just three losses. This earned them their first playoff spot in the top league, where they lost to Monterrey.
Champions of Apertura 2012
Xolos continued to have a strong defense in the 2012–13 Liga MX season. In the 2012 Apertura, they allowed only 15 goals, tied for the fewest in the league. They also finished tied for first place with Toluca.
In the playoffs, they got revenge on Monterrey by beating them. Then, they came back from being down 2–0 against León in the semi-finals. They won the final against Toluca with a total score of 4–1 over two games. This made them champions in the shortest time ever after being promoted to Mexico's top league.
In the Clausura tournament that followed, Xolos finished in 10th place and didn't make the playoffs. However, they were invited to the 2013 Copa Libertadores, a big international tournament. Tijuana made it all the way to the quarter-finals before losing to Atlético Mineiro.
Estadio Caliente: The Home Stadium
The Estadio Caliente is a stadium in Tijuana, Baja California. It officially opened on November 11, 2007, with a game between Club Tijuana and Pumas Morelos. The stadium could hold 13,333 people back then. In July 2009, its capacity was increased to 16,000.
The stadium owner, Jorge Hank Rhon, wanted to build it so that Tijuana could have a professional football club. Mexican football rules say that teams in the First Division must have a stadium that can hold more than 15,000 people. So, when the capacity was increased, Club Tijuana officially met the requirements to be promoted.
The stadium was built in two main parts. The first part completed the field and the lower seating areas. The second part increased the stadium's size. Club Xoloitzcuintles added 4,000 more seats, bringing the capacity to 20,000. They also improved the player dressing rooms and the parking lot. New stadium lights were also installed.
Club Vision and Goals
What started as a hobby for football fan Jorge Hank Rhon has grown into a big project. His son, Jorge Alberto Hank Inzunza, who is the President of Club Tijuana, and co-owner Alberto Murguia Orozco, have big plans for the club. They have said that the project is much more than just a stadium and a top-division team.
Their plans include opening football schools and training clinics across the region, even in San Diego and Los Angeles. They also want to find new talented players, have teams in different football divisions, support good causes, and develop a large shopping area.
Team Management and Staff
Here are some of the people who help run the Club Tijuana team:
Current Technical Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Sebastián Abreu |
| Assistant coaches | Bruno Silva
 Carlos Pinto
Roberto Cornejo |
| Goalkeeper coach | Óscar Dautt |
| Fitness coach | Raziel Alba |
| Team Doctors | Daniel Saldivar
Marian Cruz |
| Assistant Doctors |  Christian Delgado
Jesús Soto
Raúl López |
Management Team
| 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 on the Team
First-Team Squad
These are the main players for Club Tijuana:
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Players on Loan
These players are still part of Club Tijuana but are currently playing for other teams:
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Reserve Teams
Club Tijuana also has reserve teams. One of them is Xolos Hermosillo, which plays in the Liga TDP. This is the fourth level of the Mexican football league system.
Team Kits and Sponsors
Football clubs often have different companies that make their uniforms (kits) and sponsor them. Here's a look at some of Club Tijuana's kit manufacturers and sponsors over the years:
| 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 |
Club Statistics and Records
Friendly Matches
Club Tijuana often plays friendly games against other teams. Here are some of their friendly match results:
| 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
Club Tijuana has also played in big international tournaments:
| 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 |
| 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 |
Club Records
Here are some of the top players in Club Tijuana's history based on goals scored and games played:
| Rank | Name | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raul Enriquez |
81 |
| 2 |  Dayro Moreno |
47 |
| 3 | Duvier Riascos |
23 |
| 4 | Dario Benedetto |
21 |
| 5 |  Fidel Martínez |
21 |
| Rank | Name | Matches |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Javier Gandolfi |
243 |
| 2 | Juan Carlos Núñez |
221 |
| 3 | Richard Ruiz |
191 |
| 4 | Raul Enriquez |
190 |
| 5 | Joe Corona |
180 |
Club Achievements
Club Tijuana has won several titles since it was founded:
National Titles
| 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 | – |
Club Managers
Here is a list of the managers who have led Club Tijuana over the years:
- 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 Football Section
Club Tijuana also has a women's football team, Club Tijuana (Women). It was started in 2014. They used to play in the US-based Women's Premier Soccer League in the summer and the Liga Mayor Femenil in the winter. In their first year, they became Mexican national champions. Since 2017, the women's team has been playing in the Liga MX Femenil.
In Pop Culture
The 2016 documentary film Club Frontera by Chris Cashman is about the Xolos. The film shows a positive view of Tijuana through the football club.
Images for kids
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The Tijuana Xoloitzcuintles played their first game in Mexico's Primera Division.
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Estadio Caliente's capacity was increased after the team's promotion.
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A view inside Caliente Stadium in 2009.
See also
In Spanish: Club Tijuana para niños
