Pumas and Querétaro FC were set to meet on 16 August 2026 at Estadio Olímpico Universitario, with projected starting XIs already giving the Liga MX Apertura 2026 match a clear shape before kickoff. Pumas was listed to begin in a 4-2-3-1, while Querétaro FC was projected in a 4-4-2.
That matters because fans looking up Pumas vs Querétaro were not just checking the date. They were checking who might actually take the field. Keylor Navas was named to start in goal for Pumas, and the home side’s expected XI also included Rodrigo López, Rubén Duarte, Nathan Silva, Álvaro Angulo, Víctor Arteaga, Pedro Vite, Uriel Antuna, Adalberto Carrasquilla, Alan Medina and Robert Morales. Across the pitch, Querétaro FC’s projected lineup featured Guillermo Allison, Bayron Duarte, Diego Reyes, Lucas Abascia, Daniel Parra, Enzo Giménez, Santiago Homenchenko, Carlo García, Paulo Victor, Pérez Reyes and Ali Avila.
Robert Morales and Ali Avila were singled out as the attackers most likely to influence the score sheet, which gives the match its sharpest edge before a ball is kicked. Pumas entered with a 4-2-3-1 built around Navas behind a compact back line and a front group meant to create chances through Antuna, Carrasquilla and Morales. Querétaro FC’s 4-4-2 pointed to a more direct setup, with Allison behind a pair of forwards and midfield runners expected to do the heavy lifting.
But the clean projected lineups came with a catch. Both squads had players listed as doubtful or absent in their pre-match reports, and the available information did not name them. That leaves room for changes before the final selection is confirmed, even with both XIs already mapped out for Jornada 4.
For now, the most useful reading of this preview is simple: the match was scheduled, the venue was fixed, and the likely shape of both teams was already public, but the final version could still shift. If the doubts hold, the lineups may look different by kickoff; if they do not, Keylor Navas and the rest of the projected starters will carry the weight of expectation into a game that fans were already tracking closely.
