Pumas will host Cruz Azul this Sunday, October 11, at 7:15 p.m. (Central Mexico Time) at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario in the match that will close out Matchday 11 of the 2026 Apertura. The match will be broadcast on Canal 5, TUDN, and ViX Premium.
The standings leave no room for interpretation. Cruz Azul sits in seventh place with 16 points, while Pumas is in 13th place with 12 points—four points behind La Máquina and out of the playoff zone. A home loss to a direct rival would push them even further away from their goal; a win, on the other hand, would put them squarely in the mix.
In the midst of the storm, the captain stepped up. Keylor Navas held a press conference this week at Ciudad Universitaria and defended the coaching staff: “Here, the responsibility doesn’t lie solely with the coaching staff—it belongs to everyone, both the club and the players. The team is united; we stand with the coach. As captain of this team, I can say that we’re with him all the way.”
The Costa Rican goalkeeper also acknowledged the team’s slump without making excuses. Navas was blunt: “In soccer, there aren’t many secrets. We can’t stop working until things turn around. Maybe we’ve had a few lapses in concentration, and we’re the first to realize it.” And regarding the match against La Máquina, he downplayed the drama but not its importance: “We have to give 100 percent against whoever it is… It’s still the same three points. If we win, it’ll bring us closer to our goal of qualifying.”
The match also has a special twist: it’s a rematch of the 2026 Clausura final. Cruz Azul will try to move closer to the top of the standings against a Pumas team that needs points to stay in playoff contention.
Sunday’s schedule also includes Atlético de San Luis vs. Santos at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN and Disney+, and Pachuca vs. Necaxa at 5:10 p.m. on FOX and FOX One. Three matches that could shake up the standings on a matchday where no one can afford to slip up.
Sunday at CU leaves no room for half-measures: Pumas are playing for their season in front of their home crowd, and Cruz Azul wants to prove that their success is no fluke. Kickoff is at 7:15 p.m.
