With Monterrey eliminated on the league-position tiebreaker by Toluca, Sergio Ramos confirmed that his time in Mexican football is over. The Andalusian defender did not complete a full year with the club, yet even this short chapter produced notable numbers across the many competitions Monterrey faced in 2025. What follows is a full look at his historic – and historic-adjacent – stint in Liga MX.
Ramos’ balance sheet with Monterrey
Drawn in part by the international windows, the World Cup winner played 34 games for Monterrey across Liga MX, the Leagues Cup, the Concacaf Champions Cup and the Club World Cup. That total is the lowest he has logged at a single club – Monterrey being the fourth of his career after Sevilla, Real Madrid and PSG.
From February onward he scored eight goals, three of them penalties. One stands out above the rest: his strike against Inter Milan at the Club World Cup, decisive in the game and commanding in the context of the competition. He also dealt with injuries that kept him off the field at times. Beyond his individual performances, it is worth assessing Monterrey’s trajectory in each tournament during his stay.
The outcomes Ramos lived in Monterrey
In domestic play, Monterrey exited the 2025 Clausura in the quarterfinals at the hands of Toluca after a 4–4 aggregate draw and elimination via the league-position rule. A key injury prevented him from taking part in the liguilla that tournament. The script barely changed in the second – and final – half of the year; another draw, this time 3–3, again sent them home on the same tiebreaker against Toluca, though he did play in those semifinals.
Internationally, the Concacaf Champions Cup delivered some of the sharpest criticism. Monterrey were knocked out in the round of 16 after a 3–3 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps, undone this time by the away-goals rule.
The Club World Cup was arguably Monterrey’s most coherent collective display of the year. They drew with Inter Milan, did the same against River Plate and routed Urawa Red Diamonds to reach the round of 16, where they put up a worthy fight before falling short against Borussia Dortmund at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
The Leagues Cup, finally, offered little for Monterrey or the rest of the Mexican clubs; losses to Cincinnati and Charlotte meant they did not advance beyond the group stage.
The captain departs with reported interest in continuing his career. Retirement is not yet in the plans for the multi-time UEFA Champions League winner, who turns 40 in March and is now weighing his next step. In Mexico, the broad consensus is that he met expectations as a marquee figure who boosted gates and stirred nostalgia by reuniting at times with former teammates like James Rodríguez, Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Keylor Navas.
Unified Ramos assessments
AS México gathered the views of reporters who cover Monterrey daily. All three graded Ramos’ spell in broadly similar terms: a positive media impact that raised the team’s and league’s visibility, though some felt he fell short on the sporting side. These are the echoes (for Spanish speakers) of a short, high-profile and divisive stop in Liga MX for one of the greatest defenders the game has seen.