Pumas are the football team of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The club celebrates its birthday on 12 September, the day in 1954 when it played its first official match, and on 12 September 2027 it turns 73 years old. It is a story of students, a puma and the colours blue and gold.

From the lecture hall to the pitch

The team belongs to UNAM, the great public university of Mexico City. It was formally set up on 2 August 1954 as Club Deportivo Universidad, with rector Nabor Carrillo and engineer Guillermo Aguilar Álvarez clearing the way.

Its application to join the top flight was turned down, so the team started in the second division. On 12 September 1954 it made its debut in Monterrey, losing 3-1, with Erasmo Colombo scoring the first goal in its history. That is why the club celebrates that day.

Promotion came on 9 January 1962, with a 5-1 win over Cataluña de Torreón. Pumas have never left the top flight since.

Why "Pumas"

The name is older than the football team itself. In 1942 coach Roberto "Tapatío" Méndez gave it to the university's American football team, admiring the animal's strength and agility.

According to a campus legend, pumas had been seen near the spot where the stadium was later built, after the eruption of the Xitle volcano. The team's other nicknames include the "Auriazules", meaning "Gold and Blues", and the "Universitarios".

Blue and gold

Blue and gold are the colours of university sport at UNAM. According to the most widely told version, they were chosen as a tribute to the American university of Notre Dame, whose coaches helped develop American football at UNAM.

From the American football fields, the two colours moved onto the shirt of the football team. There they became the badge of every "Universitario".

Pajarito's crest

The most recognisable part of the shirt is the crest. It was designed in 1974 by Manuel "Pajarito" Andrade and presented by rector Guillermo Soberón at the start of the 1974-75 academic year.

It is a geometric puma head: the eyes and nose form a "U", while the line of the mouth recalls a trophy cup. The aim was a modern symbol that was easy to reproduce, and Andrade, who died in December 2024, achieved it completely.

Titles, legends and an Olympic stadium

The team's home is the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, opened in 1952 and host of the 1968 Olympic Games. Pumas have won seven league titles: in 1977, 1981, 1991, two in 2004, 2009 and 2011.

The years of Bora Milutinović on the bench (1977-1982) brought the 1981 league title, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and the Copa Interamericana. Hugo Sánchez started his career here and later, as coach, gave the team its two titles of 2004.

History was also written by Brazilian Cabinho, the all-time top scorer with 151 goals, goalkeeper Jorge Campos and Claudio Suárez. In the Clausura 2026 Pumas finished top of the Liga MX regular season and reached the final, where they lost 2-1 on aggregate to Cruz Azul.

Celebrate with us

From a student dream in 1954 to the stands of an Olympic stadium, Pumas turn 73 in blue and gold. Happy birthday to all the "Universitarios", from Mexico City to Greece!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: The Estadio Olímpico Universitario (2017) – Artemisandra, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.