Atlético San Luis Turns Chivas Castoffs Into Building Blocks

There's a detail worth noting in Atlético San Luis's roster for the Apertura 2026: three of its players came up through Chivas's youth system. None of them managed to stick with the Flock, but all three found something in San Luis Potosí that never showed up for them in Guadalajara: consistent playing time.

This isn't a new phenomenon. Going back to its days in the Liga de Ascenso, San Luis leaned on loans of young academy products as a way to build its squad, and that habit didn't disappear once the club reached the top flight. Over the years it's become almost a recognizable pipeline: a player fails to break through at Chivas, and sooner or later, a call comes in from San Luis.

Galindo Jr., Macías and Pérez Bouquet

Benjamín Galindo Jr., son of one of the club's historic legends, made his Chivas debut in 2018 under Matías Almeyda. The debut couldn't have gone worse: starting against Veracruz, a mistake of his led to a goal for the Tiburones Rojos before the first minute was even up. He got few chances after that, left the club, had a stint at Pachuca and found some stability at Cancún FC before returning to the top division with Atlético San Luis. Last season he played 12 matches for the San Luis Potosí side and is now looking to lock down a permanent spot under Diego Mejía.

Óscar Macías carries more weight in San Luis's midfield these days, though his story started just as tough. He debuted with Chivas in 2017 and across different stretches managed just seven Liga MX appearances. His real shot within the Chivas structure came with Tapatío, where he was an important piece and won the 2023 Liga de Expansión title, but that still didn't earn him a permanent spot with the first team. He returned to San Luis, a club he'd already spent time with between 2019 and 2020, and that's where he finally found the consistency Guadalajara never gave him.

Sebastián Pérez Bouquet's case is different because for years he was seen as one of the academy's most promising talents. He debuted in the Clausura 2022 under Marcelo Michel Leaño, played 15 matches and scored a goal against Querétaro in a 2-2 draw at La Corregidora. But his emergence coincided with constant upheaval at the club, and his minutes kept shrinking. He went out on loan to FC Juárez, where he started well but eventually lost his place, and the border club didn't exercise its purchase option. Since the Clausura 2025 he's been playing for San Luis, splitting time between starts and substitute appearances, with four goals across Liga MX and the Leagues Cup.

A list that keeps growing

The list doesn't end there. Zahid Muñoz was once considered one of the top prospects to come out of Chivas's lower divisions, and he too struggled to establish himself at San Luis. José "Tepa" González followed a similar path. Alejandro Organista, who never even debuted in Liga MX with the Flock, found in San Luis one of his first real stretches of continuous playing time as a professional.

Chivas keeps producing players on a steady basis, that much isn't in question. What's clear is that the path to the first team leaves plenty of talent behind, and Atlético San Luis has made itself into that second door within Liga MX.