Clasico Regio: C.F. Monterrey, Tigres UANL to meet on October 14 in Houston

HOUSTON – The Clásico Regio is taking the rivalry up the road into Texas.

C.F. Monterrey and Tigres UANL will face off in an international friendly at Shell Energy Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 14. It will be the first encounter between the cross-town rivals in the Bayou City.

This meeting will take place during the October FIFA international window, meaning players called up to their respective national teams will not be able to participate — and six days before MLS Decision Day on Oct. 21. 

The two clubs will be following up on their Jornada 9 meeting during the Liga MX Apertura 2023 regular season on Sept. 23 at the Estadio Universitario in San Nicolás de los Garza, part of the Monterrey metropolitan area.

Rayados and Tigres also announced an agreement to play the Clásico Regio annually in the United States. A large part of Houston’s Mexican population hails from Monterrey in part to the close distance between the two cities.

Who is playing in the Clásico Regio?

Club de Futbol Monterrey, commonly known as Rayados, was founded in 1945 and has won five Liga MX titles, three Copa MX trophies and five Concacaf Champions League tournaments. On two occasions, they finished third in the FIFA Club World Cup. Coached by Fernando Ortiz, the squad features Mexico national team players Luis Romo and Jesús Gallardo and fellow Qatar 2022 participants Hector Moreno and Rogelio Funes Mori. The latter is the club's all-time leading goalscorer and is accompanied by a former league Golden Boot winner in German Berterame.

Tigres UANL (Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon) was founded in 1960 and the club is the defending champion after winning its eighth league title. The club has won one Concacaf Champions League, taking it to a second-place finish at the 2020 FIFA World Cup, and three Copa MX, formerly known as Copa Mexico. Robert Siboldi is the current manager with club legends Nahuel Guzman, Guido Pizarro, and Andre-Pierre Gignac headlining the roster. The club also features two of Mexico's recent call ups in Sebastian Cordova and Diego Lainez.

In recent times, these two clubs have been among the highest spenders in Liga MX. The nature of sharing the same city makes for a bigger competitive edge when they face off in the Clasico Regio.

What is the history of Monterrey vs. Tigres UANL?

The first Clasico Regiomontano dates back to 1960 when the two clubs met in the second division. The team faced off for the first time in the first division in 1974 and, with the two clubs rising among the big spenders in recent years, has grown into one of the most intense rivalries in Mexico.

Over 130 meetings have occurred across various competitions, including league matches, playoffs, and the domestic cup. The rivalry has reached new heights with encounters in the playoffs, and Liga MX and Concacaf Champions League finals throughout the past five years.

The teams last faced off in the United States in 2010. Coincidentally, that match was in Houston as part of the InterLiga tournament that was habitually played in the break between the Apertura and Clausura seasons and decided qualification to the Copa Libertadores.