League Performance (Liga MX Apertura 2025): Pumas got off to a rocky start. After a 0–3 home loss to Santos and a 2–3 loss at Pachuca in early July (both marred by defensive errors), the team found itself mired at the bottom of the standings. As one analysis noted, Pumas “had another loss… [with] the same mistakes that brought the first,” extending a “terrible start to the Apertura”fmfstateofmind.com. The young keeper Rodrigo Parra, who started the first two games, was cited as making costly mistakes. The slide finally ended on July 25 when Keylor Navas made his debut in goal: Pumas won 2–0 at Querétaro, with goals by Guillermo “Memo” Martínez and teenager Jorge Ruvalcabaespndeportes.espn.com. Navas “kept a clean sheet” and settled the defense immediatelyespndeportes.espn.com, helping Pumas earn their first three points of Apertura. In their most recent match (Aug 4), Pumas also beat Necaxa 2–1 to gather 6 points in four games. Overall the early trend has been a porous defense (5 goals conceded in two losses) paired with sporadic scoring. As of early August, Pumas sit near the bottom of the league table. (For context, they finished 10th in the Clausura 2025 and were eliminated in the play-in roundespn.com.)
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Recent match outcomes: July 12 – L 0–3 vs Santos; July 20 – L 2–3 at Pachucafmfstateofmind.com; July 25 – W 2–0 at Querétaroespndeportes.espn.com; Aug 4 – W 2–1 vs Necaxa.
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League standing: Early-season form has left Pumas in the bottom tier (15th of 18) of the Apertura table (3 points from first 3 games) before their Necaxa win.
Key Players and Transfers: Pumas have overhauled the roster with high-profile signings. In January 2025 the club paid a record transfer fee to bring in Panama midfielder Adalberto “Coco” Carrasquilla from Houston Dynamoespn.com. In July they added two ex-Real Madrid stars: Keylor Navas (goalkeeper, signed from Newell’s Old Boysapnews.com) and Aaron Ramsey (midfielder, signed from Cardiff Cityespn.com). Ramsey’s arrival in Mexico (July 3) was officially announced by Pumasespn.com, and ESPN noted he is “excited to play for this historic club.” These veterans join homegrown talents like midfielder Piero Quispe and young forwards Jorge Ruvalcaba (already on the scoresheet) and Guillermo Martínez (who scored vs Querétaro)espndeportes.espn.com.
On the other hand, Pumas lost some leaders: longtime captain Lisandro Magallán departed in June (returning to Argentine club Vélez Sarsfield)onefootball.com, and winger César Huerta left in January (to Anderlecht), leaving holes in the defense and attackfmfstateofmind.com. Veteran defender Pablo López (brought in under new coach Juárez) and midfielders like Rafael Baca have been relied on to fill those gaps. So far, goals have come mainly from the new signings and young attackers (Martínez, Ruvalcaba) rather than the existing stars.
Other Competitions: In summer 2025 Pumas also competed in the Leagues Cup (the MLS–Liga MX tournament). They advanced from the group stage by drawing 1–1 with Orlando City SC on July 30 (Pumas won the ensuing shootout)orlandocitysc.com and then beating Atlanta United 3–2 on August 2atlutd.com. Panamanian signing Carrasquilla starred in both games, scoring against Orlando City and twice vs Atlantaorlandocitysc.comatlutd.com. Notably, Pumas are set to meet Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami in the knockout stage on Aug 6espn.com – a marquee match that fans are eagerly anticipating. (In the 2025 CONCACAF Champions Cup, Pumas reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated by Vancouver on away goals.)
Coaching and Storylines: Mid-season coaching changes have been a major storyline. Longtime coach Gustavo Lema (who had led Pumas to two straight playoff quarterfinals in 2024) was fired on Feb 27, 2025 immediately after a humiliating 4–2 loss to Xolos (Tijuana)fmfstateofmind.com. Lema’s defensive approach had unraveled under injuries and departures (the April loss to Tijuana was described as the last strawfmfstateofmind.com). Former captain Raul Alpizar took over on an interim basis, but on March 2 the club officially named Efraín Juárez – a former Pumas star and successful coach in Colombia – as head coachfootboom1.com. Juárez inherited a low 12th-place Clausura standing (11 points from 11 gamesfootboom1.com), but under him the team has shown signs of improvement (the first Apertura win came immediately).
Performance Trends – Strengths and Challenges: Pumas’ strengths this season lie in their reinvigorated midfield and goalkeeping. Signing a veteran like Ramsey gives them creativity and experience, and Navas has quickly solidified the back line (his calm debut kept the opponent off the scoresheetespndeportes.espn.com). Carrasquilla has added goals from midfield (he scored in the Leagues Cup), and Quispe continues to be a tireless presence. Youth players like Ruvalcaba are providing punch upfront.
However, challenges persist. Defensive lapses plagued the early league games; after three matches Pumas had conceded 6 goals. The season summary notes Pumas “had not figured out their offensive weapons” after losing Huertafmfstateofmind.com, and integrating the new arrivals will take time. Injuries (e.g. Álvaro Angulo’s red card vs Querétaroespndeportes.espn.com) and adapting to Juárez’s system are ongoing tests. The depth of squad rotation due to multiple competitions (league, Leagues Cup, Champions Cup) is another factor.
In summary, Pumas UNAM’s current campaign is a story of heavy investment and bold changes clashing with inconsistent results. Early league form has been poor, but a recent victory and strong signings give cause for optimism. As Juárez continues to implement his vision, fans will be watching whether these strengths can overcome the defensive weaknesses and turn the season around.
Sources: Recent match reports, news articles, and league statistics have been used to compile this updatefmfstateofmind.comespndeportes.espn.comespn.comapnews.comespn.comfmfstateofmind.comfootboom1.comorlandocitysc.comatlutd.comonefootball.com. The information reflects the team’s situation as of early August 2025.