Football General Manager
- Together, Ramos and Navas won three consecutive UCL titles with Madrid
- Ramos, Navas are set to face each other in Matchday 13
- There are now six former Real Madrid players competing in Apertura 2025
Keylor Navas might make his Liga MX debut sooner than expected, as he is in contention to start for Pumas Friday against Querétaro in Matchday 3 of the Apertura 2025 – just a day after being officially unveiled by the club on Thursday.
The Costa Rican’s arrival sparked a wave of reactions across the football world, with one of the most notable coming from his former Real Madrid teammate, Sergio Ramos. Now playing for Monterrey, Ramos reposted Navas’ announcement video on social media and sent him a heartfelt message:
“Even if we’re rivals now, I’m really happy to have you here. Welcome and pura vida, brother!” he wrote in his post.
During his official presentation with Pumas, Navas revealed that Ramos played a key role in helping him decide to join Liga MX. The Costa Rican goalkeeper also highlighted the league’s growth and the influence of other well-known players who have arrived in recent years.
“Sergio told me a bit about his experience in Mexican football. Players like James Rodríguez have come here, and the level of the league is growing a lot,” Navas said.
He also mentioned his national team coach, Miguel Herrera, also thought it was a good move.
“’El Piojo’ also told me he knows the league well, and that I was definitely joining a big club. He shared a bit with me, and having him with the national team helped me make this decision.”
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Ramos, Navas, and Rodríguez shared the locker room at Real Madrid from 2014 – when both James and Navas joined the club – until 2019, when the Costa Rican goalkeeper departed for Paris Saint-Germain. James, however, left the club for two seasons to play with Bayern Munich.
During their time together, the trio helped Real Madrid win eight titles, including two UEFA Champions League trophies, two FIFA Club World Cups, one La Liga title, and a pair of Spanish Super Cups. Notably, Ramos and Navas were part of the squad that won three consecutive Champions League titles.
The Universitarios visit Querétaro tonight in search of their first points of the tournament.
