MEXICO CITY, May 20 (Reuters) - Mexico's countdown to the World Cup is in full swing, but the country's football fever will ignite weeks before the big kickoff when Pumas UNAM and Cruz Azul meet in a blockbuster Liga MX final that has gripped the capital.
Two of Mexico City's biggest and most famous clubs will contest a rare all-capital title series, giving the sprawling football-mad metropolis a dress rehearsal before the World Cup arrives next month.
As World Cup branding has increasingly become part of the landscape around the city, preparations are intensifying at the iconic Estadio Azteca, where the tournament kicks off on June 11, as FIFA has taken operational control ahead of the opening match, adding an unusual subplot to the final itself.
Cruz Azul, whose nomadic search for a home has become one of Mexican football's enduring storylines, used the Azteca in their first two playoff rounds before being forced out again by World Cup preparations, shifting Thursday's opening leg to the Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes before Sunday's return game at Pumas' Olimpico Universitario.
The stakes extend beyond the title. Pumas are chasing their first league crown since 2011 after topping the regular season standings and Cruz Azul are seeking to add a 10th Liga MX title to their trophy cabinet, having last tasted glory in 2021.
This rivalry also has a distinctly local feel, pitting two Mexico City powerhouses led by Mexican coaches and former players of their respective clubs. Efrain Juarez and Joel Huiqui will be the first Mexican managers to face each other in a Liga MX final since 2013.
Huiqui, a former Cruz Azul defender, took charge for the final match of the regular season and guided the club through the playoffs, with the permanent job likely to be his if he delivers the title. Across the touchline, Juarez has revitalised Pumas in just over a year since arriving fresh off a domestic double with Colombia's Atletico Nacional.
For Mexican football authorities, the timing could not be better. Packed stadiums, intense media buzz and a capital city showcase are the perfect opening act before Mexico hosts the World Cup for the first time since 1986.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City, editing by Ed Osmond)
