Mi rival (2026 TV series)
| Mi rival | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Telenovela |
| Based on | Cuando la rival es una hija by Inés Rodena |
| Written by |
|
| Directed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Carlos Rivera |
| Opening theme | "Sin despedida" by Carlos Rivera & Alejandro Fernández[1] |
| Composers |
|
| Country of origin | Mexico |
| Original language | Spanish |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 15 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Carmen Armendáriz |
| Producers |
|
| Cinematography |
|
| Editors |
|
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Production company | TelevisaUnivision |
| Original release | |
| Network | Las Estrellas |
| Release | 2 March 2026 – present |
Mi rival is a Mexican telenovela produced by Carmen Armendáriz for TelevisaUnivision.[2] It is based on Inés Rodena's radionovela Cuando la rival es una hija.[3] The series stars Sebastián Rulli, Alejandra Barros and Ela Velden.[4] It premiered on Univision on 2 March 2026.[5] In Mexico, the series is set to premiere on Las Estrellas on 20 April 2026.[6]
Plot
Paloma García is married to Porfirio Cruz, 25 years her senior, an important sugar plantation owner in San Luis Potosí. As a teenager, Renato Tirado is adopted by Gustavo Rodríguez, another important sugar plantation owner in San Luis, after rescuing his son from a group of thugs. Renato and Paloma meet at the San Luis fairgrounds and feel an undeniable mutual attraction. Overwhelmed by her feelings, Paloma hastens her return home to Porfirio, who is very ill. Bárbara, her 25-year-old daughter, is also forced to return to the plantation to be near her father. Porfirio, overwhelmed by the demands of the estate, asks his partner and friend Gustavo for help in finding an administrator. Gustavo, who secretly covets Porfirio's estate, recommends Renato, his protégé, who is unaware of Gustavo's ambitions.[7]
Paloma, who is weighed down by her loveless marriage, is shocked when she sees Renato arrive at the estate. She is even more surprised when she discovers that Bárbara is also attracted to him. Things get worse when, thanks to his intelligence and talent, Renato works hard to try to get Hacienda Cruz back on its feet. For Bárbara, her initial attraction to Renato gradually turns into a deep love that will be difficult to hide. From this point on, the unconditional love between mother and daughter becomes blurred, when each one's own happiness is endangered by the other. They never thought they would end up as rivals.[7]
Cast
- Sebastián Rulli as Renato Tirado
- Ela Velden as Bárbara Cruz García[8]
- Alejandra Barros as Paloma García
- Arturo Peniche as Gustavo Rodríguez
- Ana Bertha Espín as Rosario García "Chelo"
- Martha Julia as Georgina Rodríguez
- Marco Treviño as Porfirio Cruz
- Cinthia Aparicio as Dalilah Fuentes[9]
- Mildred Feuchter as María García
- Edward Castillo as Luis Ernesto Rodríguez
- Diana Haro as Rosa Martínez
- José Daniel Figueroa as Vicente Lopez "Lopecito"
- Axel Ricco as Father Emiliano
- Juan Carlos Remolina as Samuel Vargas
- Ignacio Guadalupe as Ramiro
- Vicente Tamayo as Rodrigo Montemayor
- Jorge Caballero as Brayan León
- Patricio Labastida as Roberto "Beto" Terrazas
- Iker Madrid as Hilario Sánchez "El Trenza"
- Daniel Martínez as Gabino Ortega
- Mercedes Hernández as Manuela Garrido
- Cassandra Iturralde as Lupita Ortega
- Nicolás Pous as Santiago Valdez
- Alex Figueroa as David
Production
On 17 July 2025, Sebastián Rulli, Alejandra Barros and Ela Velden were announced in the lead roles of Mi rival.[4] The first table read was held on 18 August 2025.[10] Filming of the telenovela took place from 29 September 2025 to 4 February 2026.[3][11]
Episodes
| No. | Title | U.S. air date | Mexico air date | Mexico viewers (millions) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Un maldito alacrán por siempre" | 2 March 2026 | 20 April 2026 | TBD |
| 2 | "Provocaciones" | 3 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 3 | "Amor forzado" | 4 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 4 | "Topar con pared" | 5 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 5 | "Corazonada" | 6 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 6 | "Ella no va a lograr separarnos" | 9 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 7 | "Renace la esperanza" | 10 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 8 | "Tu pasado está escrito" | 11 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 9 | "La verdad a la luz" | 12 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 10 | "Con él soy una mujer" | 13 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 11 | "Odio de madre" | 16 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 12 | "Solo se necesita amor" | 17 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 13 | "Un alma rota" | 18 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 14 | "Vendiéndole el alma al diablo" | 19 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
| 15 | "Revolución y guerra" | 20 March 2026 | TBA | TBD |
Release
Mi rival premiered first in the United States on Univision on 2 March 2026.[5] In Mexico, the series is set to premiere on Las Estrellas on 20 April 2026.[6]
References
- ^ Flores, Paulina (5 February 2026). "Sebastián Rulli, Ela Velden y Alejandra Barros protagonizan 'Mi Rival': revelan en 'Hoy' quién canta el tema principal". lasestrellas.tv (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ Maldonado, Vanessa (6 February 2026). "Carmen Armendáriz de TelevisaUnivision: "Con Mi rival apostamos por locaciones reales y grabamos 100% en San Luis Potosí"". Produ.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ a b "TelevisaUnivision comienza grabaciones de la telenovela "Mi Rival"". Señal News (in Spanish). 30 September 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ a b Rivero, Pepe (17 July 2025). "Sebastián Rulli vuelve en "Mi rival": Hará trío explosivo con Alejandra Barros y Ela Velden". TVyNovelas (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ a b González, Moisés (4 February 2026). "Univision anuncia el estreno de la telenovela 'Mi rival' con Sebastián Rulli. ¡Promo y fecha de estreno!". People en Español (in Spanish). Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ a b "'Mi Rival', con Sebastían Rulli, ya tiene fecha de estreno en México: ¿cuándo y a qué hora verla?". lasestrellas.tv (in Spanish). 4 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
- ^ a b "Mi Rival: ¿De qué trata la nueva telenovela de Sebastián Rulli?". Univision.com (in Spanish). 27 February 2026. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ "Primeras imágenes Ela Velden en la telenovela Mi rival". Entretelenovelas Magazine (in Spanish). 3 November 2025. Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ Lebrija Clavel, Mariana (30 September 2025). "Bajo el nombre de Dalilah, Cinthia Aparicio se convertirá en toda una villana". El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ Rojas, Otto (18 August 2025). "Inicia producción de la nueva telenovela". PostaMx (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 December 2025.
- ^ Ventura, Carlos (4 February 2026). "La producción de "Mi Rival" se despide de San Luis Potosí tras 4 meses de grabaciones". El Sol de San Luis (in Spanish). OEM. Retrieved 5 February 2026.