The stat that points to playoff hell for Pumas
Pumas face Pachuca in the semifinals of the Clausura 2026 - but the ‘América curse’ suggests Los Universitarios are already doomed.
The Clausura 2026 semifinals are just around the corner, with Efraín Juárez’s Pumas set to face Pachuca as they look to snap Los Universitarios’ long title drought.
Despite knocking off Club América in the quarterfinals, the shadow of Los Azulcremas continues to loom over Pumas - even if América is no longer alive in this Liga MX postseason.
Across the last 12 tournaments - excluding the four in which América reached the Liga MX final - any team that has eliminated the 16-time champions has ultimately failed to lift the trophy.
Since 2020, Chivas, Pachuca, Pumas, Toluca, and Monterrey have all sent América packing at different stages of the playoffs, only to come up short in their own title bids - sometimes not even making it to the final.
How Liga MX’s ‘América curse’ has played out
In the Guard1anes 2020, Chivas ousted América in the quarterfinals, but El Rebaño was then eliminated in the semifinals by León.
During the Clausura 2021, Pachuca dispatched América - also in the quarterfinals - only to be knocked out in the semifinals by Cruz Azul. That same year, in the Apertura, América fell to Pumas, who were later eliminated in the semifinals by Atlas.
In 2022, both Pachuca and Toluca eliminated América in their respective tournaments. Los Tuzos went on to lose the final to Atlas, while Toluca fell to Pachuca in the championship series.
América’s last elimination before its historic three-peat came at the hands of Chivas in the Clausura 2023. El Rebaño Sagrado knocked out Las Águilas in the semifinals, only to lose the final to Tigres.
Most recently, in the Apertura 2025, América was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Monterrey, who in turn were bounced by Toluca in the semifinals of that tournament.
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