From Electricians to Icons: The Century-Long Evolution of Mexico’s Club Necaxa

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Founded by a Scottish engineer to provide steady work for power company employees, Club Necaxa has survived financial collapse, forced rebrandings, and labor disputes. Today, it stands as a pillar of Mexican football, having transformed from a company team into a national powerhouse with a legacy of championship-winning football.

Established on August 21, 1923, by William H. Fraser, Club Necaxa began as a project to consolidate the football teams of the Light and Power Company and local streetcar operators. Because the Mexican football federation prohibited naming teams after private corporations, the club took its name from the nearby Necaxa River. During its early years, the team was affectionately known as Los Electricistas, or The Electricians, and became a dominant force in the amateur era, securing multiple league titles throughout the 1930s.

The club's history is marked by significant instability and reinvention. In 1943, Necaxa disappeared from competitive play due to the professionalization of the league, only to return seven years later. By 1971, following severe financial struggles and a landmark labor dispute involving player Carlos Albert, the club was sold to Spanish businessmen and rebranded as Atlético Español. It operated under this name for over a decade, winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 1975, before the original Necaxa name was restored in 1982 by a new group of Mexican owners.

The 1990s ushered in a golden era under the ownership of Grupo Televisa. With strategic investments in talent like Álex Aguinaga and the leadership of coach Manuel Lapuente, the club reclaimed its status as a champion. This period, often called the new era of Necaxa under capitalism, cemented the team's reputation for offensive-minded, disciplined play. Today, the club is based in Aguascalientes, having moved from its historical roots in Mexico City in 2003, and continues to be recognized as the highest-ranked Mexican club in the 20th-century North and Central American rankings.

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