Salomon Rondon Sets Pachuca Record With 13 Apertura Goals

Salomon Rondon established a new scoring milestone for Pachuca in the Liga MX Apertura 2026, reaching 13 goals in 12 appearances with a second-half header against Monterrey. The Venezuelan striker scored during Pachuca's 2-1 defeat at Estadio BBVA, extending his lead in the individual scoring race while setting a club record for goals in a single short-format tournament, according to reports published by Globovision and El Informador on October 20. Rondon scored in the 74th or 75th minute, depending on the match report, converting a cross from midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro to reduce Monterrey's lead.

Diego Rossi and Jesus Manuel Corona had scored for the home side before Rondon found the net, but Pachuca could not recover from the deficit. The goal took Rondon beyond the previous benchmark of 12 goals in a single short-format Liga MX tournament, a mark jointly associated with Ecuadorian forward Enner Valencia. According to Globovision, Rondon reached the record after playing 992 minutes across 12 matches, scoring at a rate of more than one goal per appearance.

Rondon also moved up Pachuca's all-time scoring rankings. He has scored 54 official goals for the club since arriving in 2024, placing sixth on its historical list and moving ahead of Sergio Santana. Franco Jara remains the club's leading scorer with 83 goals, according to Globovision.

The 37-year-old striker entered the Monterrey match with 12 goals after scoring twice against Necaxa in a 3-3 draw during the previous round, according to NTN24. His latest strike increased his advantage over his closest pursuer in the Apertura scoring standings. Juninho, the Pumas forward, ranks second with eight goals. Henry Martin of Club America, Julian Carranza of Necaxa and Juan Brunetta of Tigres each have seven, while Oscar Estupinan of FC Juarez has six, according to the scoring table published by TUDN on October 17.

Martin is the only Mexican player among the leading five scorers listed in the October 17 report. He has returned to the scoring race after injuries affected his previous tournaments, while Gilberto Mora and Tahiel Jimenez were the next Mexican players listed, with five goals apiece. Rondon's scoring record comes as Pachuca seeks better league results. The defeat against Monterrey left the club needing to improve its position in the standings to strengthen its chances of reaching the postseason, according to NTN24.

Monterrey, meanwhile, collected three points from the victory and reached 16 points, according to Debate. Rondon's individual total continued to grow even as Pachuca failed to secure a result from the match. The Venezuelan forward previously won the Liga MX scoring title with Pachuca in 2024 after recording eight goals, according to Debate.

His 13 goals in the Apertura 2026 have already surpassed that total, with five regular-season matches remaining at the time of the report. NTN24 also noted that the last Liga MX regular-season scoring champion to exceed 15 goals was Argentine striker Emanuel Villa, who scored 17 for Cruz Azul in the Apertura 2009. Rondon's current pace places him within reach of that benchmark, although the final scoring title will depend on the remaining matches.