Pumas vs. Cruz Azul payroll: Which Liga MX finalist pays its star players more?

There are just two games left in the Liga MX 2026 Clausura season to decide who will be crowned champion and it’s an all Mexico City affair as Cruz Azul face Pumas.

The ‘cementeros’ are aiming for their tenth league title with the university side gunning for an eighth Mexican championship.

The first leg is earmarked for Thursday with the return leg set to be staged on Sunday.

When it comes to financial clout however between Cruz Azul and Pumas, there is one clear winner.

Deep pocketed Cruz Azul

When comparing the total payroll and star-player compensation between these two Liga MX finalists, Cruz Azul outspends Pumas UNAM by a significant margin.

Backed by the corporate financial power of the Cooperativa Cruz Azul, La Máquina consistently operates with one of the biggest budgets in Mexican football. Meanwhile, Pumas maintains its historic identity as a university-backed club, utilizing a more conservative financial structure supplemented by academy talent.

Cruz Azul explicitly shattered their internal salary caps to build an elite, championship-caliber front line. Their highest earners command top-tier status across all of Liga MX:

Miguel Borja: The Colombian striker arrived at La Noria from River Plate on a massive, bulletproof contract worth $3 million per year.

Giorgos Giakoumakis: The Greek forward sits right beside Borja at the top of the club’s wage structure, pulling in an identical $3 million per year.

Cash conscious Pumas

Pumas traditionally avoid bidding wars, but they have proven willing to fork out for transformative, world-class key players.

Rogelio Funes Mori: The veteran striker remains the highest-paid outfield player at the club, earning a substantial $3.8 million per year.

Keylor Navas: The experienced Costa Rican keeper shocked the league with his arrival. Following an incredibly dominant Clausura campaign, Pumas locked him down through mid-2027 on a renewed contract worth over $2 million per season.

Although Pumas carries the single highest-paid individual star between the two teams in Funes Mori, Cruz Azul pays its collective star group significantly more. Cruz Azul boasts multiple players in the $3 million bracket, and their baseline roster depth is heavily reinforced by multimillion-dollar salaries. Pumas’ payroll drops off much more sharply after their top two icons, making Cruz Azul the undisputed financial heavyweight of this final.

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