What to know about Mexico ahead of FIFA 2026 World Cup

It’s hard to think of iconic World Cup settings without imagining Mexico’s Estadio Azteca among the top memories. From Pele’s third World Cup win, Maradona’s “mano de Dios,” and the backdrop of the Mexico national team’s best World Cup runs. Now, in 2026, El Tri will hope history favors them once more on home soil.

For Mexico, the countdown to the opening whistle is in just a few weeks, with the final roster announcement just days away, and the preparation has been years in the making. When hosting duties for the 2026 FIFA World Cup were awarded to the United States, Mexico, and Canada in 2017, it set in motion an immediate layer of pressure for El Tri to replicate previous success. As co-hosts, Mexico automatically qualified for the 2026 tournament.

The country will host the opening ceremony and first game of the tournament against South Africa, and after an embarrassing exit from the group stage in Qatar 2022, head coach Javier Aguirre and the roster will carry the hopes of a nation and what feels like an endless chase for a return to the quarterfinals, and beyond. 

Here’s everything you need to know about El Tri ahead of the World Cup:

Preliminary roster and tensions ahead of camps

Head coach Javier Aguirre and his coaching staff announced a 55-player preliminary roster on May 12. The list will be narrowed to a final 26 names by June 1, following a series of buildup friendlies against Ghana and Australia. Putting together a preliminary list came with some chaos and ego after a back-and-forth between the Federation of Mexican Football and Liga MX club executives.

Aguirre and the federation wanted a multi-week-long training camp specifically for domestic-based players to build chemistry that European-based players would later join. The timing of the camp would’ve required Liga MX players to leave their clubs during the 2026 Clausura playoffs.

The FMF had a formal agreement with clubs that 20 players who were selected by Aguirre would miss the Liguilla to join the national team camp on May 6, and 12 players would be guaranteed a spot in the World Cup. However, the timing of other club competitions created a loophole, and tensions escalated into ultimatums and threats over player availability between Toluca and Chivas. 

The Concacaf Champions Cup was not included in the original agreement, and Toluca wanted special permission to keep its stars for a second leg, prompting backlash from Chivas owner Amaury Vergara, who claimed that “agreements are only valid when all parties respect them.”

While the Concacaf tournament wasn’t included in the original agreement, the federation opted to resolve the boiling tempers with a final decision. An ultimatum in an official statement that claimed any player who failed to attend the training camp by the deadline would be excluded from the World Cup.

Following the federation’s decision, both franchises agreed not to interfere with prior agreements or chances for their club players to represent the nation at a World Cup. The domestic national team camp is weeks into effect, the Liga MX 2026 Clausura is officially over, and Aguirre and his staff must now trim the provisional roster by June 1. 

Here are the players in the running for the 26-man roster:

Goalkeepers: Alex Padilla (Athletic Club), Antonio Rodríguez (Tijuana), Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna), Carlos Moreno (Pachuca), Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol), Raúl Rangel (Chivas)

Defenders: Bryan González (Chivas), César Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Edson Álvarez (Fenerbahçe), Eduardo Águila (Atlético de San Luis), Everardo López (Toluca), Israel Reyes (América), Jesús Angulo (Tigres), Jesús Gallardo (Toluca), Jesús Gómez (Tijuana), Johan Vásquez (Genoa), Jorge Sánchez (PAOK), Julián Araujo (Celtic), Luis Rey (Puebla), Mateo Chávez (AZ Alkmaar), Ramón Juárez (América), Richard Ledezma (Chivas), Víctor Guzmán (Monterrey)

Midfielders: Alexei Domínguez (Pachuca), Alexis Gutiérrez (America), Alvaro Fidalgo (Real Betis), Brian Gutiérrez (Chivas), Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul), Denzell Garcia (FC Juarez), Diego Lainez (Tigres), Efrain Álvarez (Chivas), Elias Montiel (Pachuca), Erick Sánchez (America), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Gilberto Mora (Tijuana), Isaías Violante (America), Jeremy Márquez (Cruz Azul), Jordan Carrillo (Pumas), Jorge Ruvalcaba (NY Red Bulls), Kevin Castañeda (Tijuana), Luis Chávez (Dinamo Moscu), Luis Romo (Chivas), Marcel Ruiz (Toluca), Obed Vargas (Atlético de Madrid), Orbelin Pineda (AEK), Jesús Angulo (Toluca)

Forwards: Alexis Vega (Toluca), Armando González (Chivas), César Huerta (Anderlecht), Germán Berterame (Inter Miami), Guillermo Martínez (Pumas), Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadisiyah), Raúl Jiménez (Fulham), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas), Santiago Giménez (Milan) 

Players to keep an eye on

With two more friendlies on the horizon and a final roster submission deadline by June 1, anything can happen. Even the most obvious of selections could change day to day at this point, and making a World Cup roster while the tournament is in your home country adds a different layer of honor. 

Here’s who to keep an eye on for El Tri:

The veterans: The front line will be led by Raul Jimenez, the striker who has been the mainstay in El Tri’s attack. There’s a bit of weariness for fans that the striker is the end-all be-all of the attack, but there’s no attacking player more prolific than him heading into the tournament. 

Goalkeeper Memo Ochoa could be back for a sixth World Cup as a third option, the one who goes for locker room and leadership purposes rather than actual playing time. Hard to argue against the icon if those are the reasons.

Prime players: Chivas goalkeeper Raul Rangel has emerged as the starter for El Tri in 2026. The 26-year-old has started every match this year and has six clean sheets. Carlos Acevedo has been utilized as a likely No. 2 ahead of the tournament. Anchoring the backline in front of them is Johan Vasquez and Cesar Montes, though Montes is managing a lingering muscle injury, as the preferred centerback duo.

Captaining the squad is 28-year-old Edson Alvarez, the versatile defensive midfielder who is currently listed as a defender on Aguirre’s provisional roster. He’s still building minutes following ankle surgery in February, and did not feature in Mexico’s latest win against Ghana. If he’s remotely available, he’ll go and play wherever they need him. Otherwise, Erik Lira is another midfield option should Alvarez be unable to perform.

Julián Quiñones is another attacking option that fans of El Tri hope can produce on the big stage after years of inconsistent play by forward Santiago Gimenez. 

Next wave generation:  There’s been accelerated concern around Alvarez’s status and how the midfield will operate if they need to without him, and thankfully, there’s a silver lining of young up-and-coming talents to distract from all that. 22-year-old Brian Gutierrez is in impressive form right now and making lineup choices difficult for Aguirre and his staff. Along with 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, who just made his senior team debut less than a year ago.

Current form

When the federation named Javier Aguirre as head coach in 2024, it was during a period of directionlessness. The program went from Tata Martino in 2022, to Diego Cocca, then Jimmy Lozano in managerial roles before landing on Aguirre for his third stint in the role. 

The World Cup was only two years away at home, but El Tri needed a solution to meet the moment while the program moved on from Jaime Lozano. Despite winning the 2023 Gold Cup, the former manager suffered a disappointing group stage exit in the Copa America and turned down a demotion with the federation. 

The federation offered Lozano a longer-term contract until 2030 with the condition that they work under a more experienced head coach in the buildup to the 2026 World Cup, and then take over the team following the 2026 tournament. Lozano turned down the offer, and Aguirre has been working as head coach alongside former El Tri captain Rafa Marquez.

In Marquez, the federation found its future plans and already announced a similar trajectory as they did with Lozano. Both parties finalized the decision to take over after the 2026 tournament and build toward the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

Despite the carousel of coaches, the team bounced back in 2025 with wins and trophies. They collected another Gold Cup and the 2025 Concacaf Nations League title before hitting a six-game winless skid to close out the year. The group kicked off 2026 by splitting friendlies against Bolivia and Panama, followed by a big 4-0 win against Iceland. 

Two draws in late March against Portugal and Belgium, and a recent 2-0 win against Ghana, have the squad feeling more confident than they were six months ago. With two more preparation matches against Australia and Serbia, Aguirre will hope that the third time is the charm for his coaching resume.

What’s at stake

It’s a home World Cup for the national team. Winning soccer’s biggest prize is always the main goal here, but it’s equally important for this program to navigate the tournament with a respectable amount of success. The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was an abysmal showing for El Tri, one in which the national team failed to advance past the group stage.

The short journey was a moment that felt like the program had hit a plateau and seemed directionless. Part of Aguirre’s appointment as manager in 2024 was as a stabilizing presence, and a few years later, it almost feels like it paid off. There’s still a final roster to name, and then it’ll be up to the team to define itself in the tournament.

With a roster that will likely be a well-blended mix of veterans, prime players, and next-gen talents, in a World Cup on home soil, expectations will be high. Adding a somewhat favorable group draw will also put pressure on the squad to not just win the group but return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1986, or beyond.