Club Deportivo Dorados de Sinaloa, simply known as Dorados, is a Mexican professional football club based in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. It competes in Liga de Expansión MX, the second level division of Mexican football, and plays its home matches at the Estadio El Encanto.
Dorados was founded on 8 August 2003 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in the Primera División 'A' de México and secured promotion to Mexico's top flight just one year later. Throughout its history, Dorados has been relegated on two occasions, most recently at the conclusion of the Clausura 2016, and has since competed in the Liga de Expansión MX.
Contents
History
First promotion and relegation
Dorados de Sinaloa was founded on 8 August 2003 in Culiacán, Sinaloa, in the Primera División 'A' de México, the second level division of the Mexican football league system. On 20 December, they won their first title in the Apertura 2003 tournament, with Guadalupe Castañeda scoring the decisive goal against Cobras de Ciudad Juárez in the final. In the following tournament, Dorados finished as runners-up.
On 29 May 2004, Dorados secured promotion to the Primera División de México after defeating León in the promotion play-off. Remarkably, the club achieved top-flight status just one year after its founding. In an effort to remain in the top division level, Dorados made several high-profile signings, including Sebastián Abreu, Pep Guardiola and Jared Borgetti. However, after two years in the Primera División, Dorados was relegated following the Clausura 2006 tournament.
Dorados claimed the title in the Clausura 2007 tournament, which allowed them to participate in the promotion play-off, but ultimately fell to Puebla. In October 2012, Dorados emerged as the Copa MX champion following their victory over Correcaminos in the final.
In May 2013, Grupo Caliente, known for its casino operations, acquired a majority ownership in the club.
Return to Primera División and Relegation
On 23 May 2015, Dorados once again secured promotion to Mexico's top flight after defeating Necaxa in the promotion play-off. However, just a year later, they were relegated to the Liga de Ascenso de México after finishing at the bottom of the relegation table.
Dorados secured the Apertura 2016 title, earning a spot in the promotion play-off, but were ultimately defeated by Lobos BUAP.
In September 2018, Diego Maradona was appointed head coach of Dorados. He made his debut on 17 September with a 4–1 victory over Cafetaleros de Tapachula. Maradona guided Dorados to two consecutive finals, though they fell short in both, losing to Atlético San Luis. In June 2019, Maradona's lawyer announced that he would be stepping down from the role, citing health reasons.
Liga de Expansión
In the spring of 2020, the Ascenso MX was restructured into the Liga de Expansión MX, a competition designed to foster the development of young footballers. Following this change, Dorados began functioning as a reserve team for both Tijuana and Querétaro, as all three clubs were owned by the same group.
In September 2024, the team was temporarily relocated to Tijuana, Baja California, due to concerns about public safety in Sinaloa, although it provisionally kept its original name. In July 2026, Dorados returned to Sinaloa; however, the team was relocated to Mazatlán instead of Culiacán, making Estadio El Encanto their new home.
Rivalry
When the Dorados de Sinaloa arrived at the Primera División 'A' de México in 2003, a rivalry was born. When the franchise was first created in 2003, Dorados became champions in their first tournament, becoming the first team to ever accomplish this feat in the Primera División 'A'. In their second tournament, Dorados made it to the final once again, falling to León. Despite losing this final, Dorados and León played the promotion game to the Primera División de México where Dorados were victorious. Dorados and León have played a total of four finals, with each team winning two.
Since the relegation of Dorados to the Ascenso MX in 2016, the two sides have not played in a league match.
Honours
Domestic
Notes
s shared record
Personnel
Players
First-team squad
As of 14 August 2026
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserves
Dorados de Los Mochis
The team participated in the Segunda División de México, finishing as runners-up in the Clausura 2009, losing to Universidad del Fútbol y Ciencias del Deporte 5–2 on aggregate.
Dorados "B"/Dorados Premier
The team participated in the Serie B of the Segunda División de México, Dorados Premier changed its name to Dorados "B", after Dorados de Sinaloa was relegated from the Primera División de México to the Liga de Ascenso de México in 2016.
Dorados "C"/Dorados "TDP"
The team competes in the Tercera División de México, winning the Torneo de Filiales de la Liga TDP in the 2020–21 season, defeating Cimarrones "B" 1–0 on aggregate.