On May 21, 1932, the governor of Hidalgo, Bartolomé Vargas Lugo, decreed the 192 workers of Cooperativa La Cruz Azul as collective owners of the plant, exercising eminent domain.

[31] A self-proclaimed socialist, Álvarez Macías laid plans to transform the cooperative into a functioning town, building schools, restaurants, paving roads, in hopes to modernize and "share social and economic progress, to raise the standard of living of the worker and his family.

[48] Following the club's promotion, Estadio 10 de Diciembre underwent renovations on March 6, 1964, rebuilding the wooden stands and dressing rooms which were compliant to regulations.

[49] After poor results, Marik left the club after the 1965–66 Mexican Primera División season where Cruz Azul finished in 13th place out of 16 teams on the league table.

[51][52][citation needed] During the 1968–69 season under the direction of Cárdenas, Cruz Azul won their first Copa México, their first Primera División title, and their first CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

An América icon who was fundamental to America's 1988–89 league championship victory against Cruz Azul, Hermosillo's signing was met with ambivalence by the club's supporters.

[65] Under the management of Luis Fernando Tena, Cruz Azul won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup on August 24, 1997, for the second consecutive year after defeating LA Galaxy 5–3 in the final.

The second leg of the series is largely remembered in part of a self-admittedly inexplicable act of aggression committed by León's goalkeeper Ángel Comizzo towards Carlos Hermosillo that handed the championship title to Cruz Azul.

[67] During the 15th minute of the first half of extra time, Comizzo shoved and kicked Cruz Azul striker Hermosillo in the face while inside the penalty box.

[75] In these championship matches, as well as regular season games, Cruz Azul initially would be favorites to win, often having the advantage over the opponent, but would ultimately draw or lose near the end of full stoppage time.

The team finished the regular season in second place with 33 points, winning 11 games of 17 played, and qualifying for the playoffs; Villa was the top scorer of the tournament with 17 goals.

In May 2020, Guillermo Alvarez Cuevas, then president of the club, was indicted by Mexican authorities on multiple accounts of insurance fraud, racketeering, extortion, tax evasion, and money laundering.

[94] On July 26, an arrest warrant was issued for Alvarez along with board directors Victor Manuel Garcés, Miguel Eduardo Borrell, and Mario Sánchez Álvarez for alleged ties to organized crime.

Despite this, Cruz Azul remained unbeaten for the rest of the regular season, finishing as league leaders with 41 points from 17 matches, an 80% effectiveness rate that also tied León's record from 2019.

On 30 May 2021, Cruz Azul ended its 23-year Primera División championship drought by beating Santos Laguna 2–1 on aggregate at Estadio Azteca, earning its ninth league title, after having lost seven finals in the last thirteen years.

[100][75] On 20 December 2023, Martín Anselmi was appointed as the head coach of Cruz Azul[101] following the departure of former manager Joaquín Moreno, whose disappointing Apertura 2023 campaign saw the club finish in 16th place.

[102] Before the start of the Clausura 2024, Anselmi oversaw the signings of key players, including Kevin Mier, Gabriel Fernández, Lorenzo Faravelli and Gonzalo Piovi, raising expectations for the team's performance.

During this period, Anselmi posted a video to his personal Instagram that contained Julieta Venegas’s song “Andar Conmigo”, which many supporters viewed as a sign of good luck.

On the decisive day, they were facing Tigres UANL, when during the 83rd minute, former Cruz Azul player Uriel Antuna was pulled down in the penalty area by Gonzalo Piovi.

The blue cross, positioned within a white circle and framed by a red square, has long symbolized the club's heritage and connection to Cooperativa La Cruz Azul, S.C.L., representing the values of unity, resilience, and teamwork.

[105] In its early years, the club's emblem was a simple, shield-shaped design centered around the blue cross, a powerful symbol linked to the cooperative roots of the organization.

This design marked a shift in the club's identity as it became more established in Mexican football, presenting a more formal, professional image while keeping the cross as its focal point.

This marked the beginning of a tradition where stars were added to commemorate each league title, creating a visual record of Cruz Azul's accomplishments within the emblem.

This circular design was complemented by the addition of the word “Mexico” around the outer ring, a declaration of the club's pride in representing the nation at both domestic and international levels.

The new shape and wording reinforced Cruz Azul's identity as a symbol of Mexican football, making the crest instantly recognizable and resonant with fans across the country.

The iconic blue cross remained unchanged at the center, preserving the emblem’s traditional identity while marking this significant moment in Cruz Azul's history.

Additionally, the blue, white, and red colors resonate with the symbolism of the Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), further solidifying the connection to the cooperative's mission and identity.

[111] In 1971, Cruz Azul moved to the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, where they experienced some of their most significant achievements, including five league titles and multiple domestic and international cup victories.

[113] Cruz Azul's second stint at Ciudad de los Deportes lasted one year,[114] as from 2025 the team moved to the Estadio Olímpico Universitario due to logistical issues at the Colonia Nápoles stadium.

Their title drought also included six losses in finals, among other painful playoff defeats,[118] and spurred the creation of the verb "cruzazulear" which is now used in Mexico to describe choking, or to lose a game when victory was almost assured.