As global anticipation grows for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Mexico prepares to crown a new national champion. The current Liga MX Clausura tournament will officially place a new team at the top of the standings this season. The championship will be a major Mexico City clash between the UNAM Pumas and Cruz Azul’s Máquina Celeste.
The UNAM university team finished as the best-positioned team in Mexican football’s regular season. Although tied on points with Chivas Rayadas of Guadalajara, they secured first place thanks to their superior goal differential. However, their performance during the current playoff rounds has raised significant sporting concerns in direct elimination matchups.
The gold and blue squad advanced with great difficulty against powerful rivals like América and Pachuca’s Tuzos. The team led by Efraín Juárez made maximum use of the valuable regulatory advantage from their position in the general standings. Now, in the imminent Clausura 2026 final, a draw on aggregate will no longer be enough to win the title, which will require maximum effort.
How does Cruz Azul arrive at this big final?
On the other side of the decisive elimination bracket is the resilient Cruz Azul cement club. The team finished the regular phase dealing with various internal turbulence, which even included a sudden coaching change. Máquina managed to finish the first phase in third place overall, just three points behind the university leader.
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