First promotion and relegation Dorados was founded on 8 August 2003, in the
Primera División "A", the second level 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 Juárez in the final. In the following tournament, Dorados finished as runners-up. On 29 May 2004, Dorados secured promotion to the
Primera División 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, 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 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, Ascenso MX was restructured into 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 relocated to
Tijuana,
Baja California due to concerns about the public safety situation in Sinaloa. ==Rivalry==