Pumas UNAM 1997/98 Home Shirt

Home shirt worn by Pumas UNAM during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.

The shirt features a dark navy base decorated with thin white and yellow horizontal pinstripes running throughout the design, creating a stylish and unmistakably late-1990s aesthetic. At the centre of the shirt sits the club’s iconic oversized golden Pumas head crest, one of the most recognisable emblems in Mexican football. A navy neckline and matching cuffs with white trim complete the design, perfectly complementing the club’s traditional university colours and giving the shirt a bold, instantly identifiable appearance.

The 1997/98 season was a turbulent and transitional period for Pumas UNAM as the club struggled for consistency across Mexico’s split-season Primera División format. The campaign was divided between the Invierno 1997 and Verano 1998 tournaments, with Pumas enduring managerial instability and disappointing league finishes throughout much of the year.

The Invierno 1997 tournament proved especially difficult, with Pumas finishing 16th out of 18 teams after recording only three wins in 17 matches. Poor results led to the dismissal of manager Luis Flores in September 1997, with Enrique López Zarza taking charge on an interim basis. Despite the change, the club failed to recover and missed out on qualification for the Liguilla playoffs.

There was some improvement during the Verano 1998 tournament under López Zarza, as Pumas collected 21 points and climbed to 12th place overall. One of the standout moments of the campaign came on 31 January 1998, when Pumas earned a memorable 3–1 victory over arch-rivals Club América at the Estadio Azteca, a result that provided supporters with one of the highlights of an otherwise difficult season.

The squad featured a mixture of experienced players and emerging young talent. Legendary goalkeeper Jorge Camposshared duties with Argentine keeper Javier Lavallén, while defenders such as David Oteo and a young Joaquín Beltrán formed part of the backline. Midfield creativity came from players including Braulio Luna and Antonio Sancho, while striker Jesús Olalde led the attack.

Although the season did not bring silverware or playoff success, it represented an important transitional era for Pumas UNAM, with the club continuing to uphold its reputation for developing talented Mexican players and maintaining one of the strongest footballing identities connected to university culture in Latin America.

This home shirt is remembered as one of Pumas UNAM’s most iconic late-1990s designs, combining bold graphics, traditional colours, and the unmistakable oversized crest that became synonymous with the club during the era.