The Mexican football club Pumas UNAM has begun its preparations for the Clausura 2026 tournament. The pre-season concentration, which started on Tuesday in Acapulco, is being led by key players, including Costa Rican goalkeeper Keylor Navas and Panamanian Adalberto Carrasquilla. Navas, who experienced the disappointment of missing the World Cup with Costa Rica, will be the leader of the team that aims to have an outstanding tournament to qualify for the championship playoffs, after being eliminated in the playoff round last season. Carrasquilla, who started in 14 of 17 matches in the Apertura, will look to maintain his consistency to remain a regular for his national team, which will participate in next year's World Cup. The team is coached by 37-year-old Efraín Juárez, who had a successful managerial debut with Colombian Atlético Nacional in 2024, leading them to win the Copa and the league. A product of the Pumas' youth system, Juárez has been in charge of the team since March 2025. His mission in this Clausura is to guide his team to the Liguilla for the first time. In addition to Navas and Carrasquilla, Pumas also has Colombian Álvaro Angulo, Brazilian Nathan Silva, and Ecuadorian Pedro Vite in its ranks. The experience of Spanish defender Rubén Duarte and the national team striker Guillermo Martínez also stand out. The squad of 26 players will remain in Acapulco until next Saturday. Pumas will debut in the Clausura on January 11th at home against Querétaro. They will host the champion Toluca on March 3rd and play their city derby, also at home, against América on the 21st.
