Liga MX cancels 2020 Clausura season amid coronavirus pandemic

Earlier this week, Major League Soccer announced that the 2020 MLS All-Star Game, the Leagues Cup and the Campeones Cup were all canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The virus outbreak claimed another sports victim on Friday. 

As ESPN's Tom Marshall reported, this year's Liga MX Clausura season has been called off because of the pandemic. No champion will be crowned. 

Cruz Azul sat atop the league table on 22 points, with Leon close behind on 21 points. Both clubs qualify for next season's CONCACAF Champions League competition. 

Santos Laguna, third in the table on 17 points, made headlines earlier this week, as Marshall explained, when the club announced 12 of its players tested positive for the coronavirus. 

The state of the Apertura season, set to begin before the end of July, was unknown as of Friday's announcement. 

ESPN shared an official league statement: 

"In recent weeks, permanent working groups and talks have been held with the federal government's health department that would allow us to resume the 2020 Clausura responsibly and without putting any member of the soccer family in Mexico at risk. However, the time of the (pandemic) that we are living through has caused increasing schedule restrictions, which do not allow us to continue the competition without putting at risk the members of this great family. Therefore, in absolute unity, the Extraordinary Assembly of the LIGA MX agreed to conclude the Liga MX 2020 Clausura for both the men's and women's leagues."

Mexico's second division also canceled its season. The country suspended promotion and relegation in April. 

As things stand heading into Memorial Day weekend, MLS intends to restart some version of its season that suspended play after two matchdays because of the pandemic. On Thursday, The Athletic offered updates on a proposal for a possible 26-club tournament held at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, Fla., that could begin around July 4.

MLS and the MLS Players Association would need to agree on any plan to resume play.