World Cup 2026

Mexico

El Tri Are Home, Hungry, and Already Through — Now the Real Fight Starts

Alive in the Round of 16FIFA #15Group A — South Africa · South Korea · CzechiaNext match — Mon, Jul 6 vs England

FutAve take

The Story

Playing on home soil for the first time in a World Cup since 1986, Mexico swept Group A with a perfect record and zero goals conceded — a statement of intent from a squad that blends Liga MX steel with genuine European pedigree. Under Javier Aguirre's ruthless tactical structure, this is the most organized El Tri in a generation.

How they qualified

Mexico entered as automatic hosts, sidestepping CONCACAF qualifying entirely, but they've earned their place on merit. Pre-tournament wins over Ghana, Australia, and a thunderous 5–1 demolition of Serbia set the tone, and back-to-back CONCACAF Nations League and Gold Cup titles in 2025 confirmed Aguirre's project is real. The mood inside the camp is quietly electric.

Why watch

A passionate home crowd, a manager who knows exactly how to grind through a tournament, and a forward line capable of genuine brilliance — Mexico are the tournament's most watchable host side in decades. With the knockout rounds ahead, every match now carries the weight of a nation that's never made a World Cup semifinal. Something has to give eventually.

Squad spotlight

Players to Know

The Star

Santiago Gimenez

AC Milan

Santiago Gimenez is Mexico's most dangerous striker, leading the line for AC Milan in Serie A before arriving as El Tri's knockout-round trump card.

Why they matter

Every deep World Cup run needs a centre forward who can conjure a goal from nothing at the highest level. Gimenez is that player for Mexico — the focal point of an attack built around his movement, hold-up play, and clinical finishing whenever the chance arrives.

Watch for

Watch how he pulls opposition centre backs into discomfort with his runs in behind and his ability to link play under pressure. In tight knockout matches, one moment of Gimenez magic could be the difference between elimination and a historic semifinal.

The Glue Guy

Edson Álvarez

West Ham United

Edson Álvarez, operating from defensive midfield at Fenerbahçe, is the spine of Mexico's entire structure and the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Player.

Why they matter

Álvarez is the axis around which Aguirre's system rotates. He wins the ball, he sets the tempo, he protects the backline, and he gives the creative players ahead of him the freedom to take risks. Mexico simply don't function the same way without him on the pitch.

Watch for

Track his positioning when Mexico lose possession — he anticipates second balls before they drop and cuts out counter-attacks almost telepathically. His range of passing forward to unlock tight defensive blocks is quietly elite.

The Veteran

Raúl Jiménez

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Raúl Jiménez, the Fulham striker and 2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals top scorer, is Mexico's most decorated attacking voice and a man who's been here before.

Why they matter

Tournament football rewards experience, and Jiménez carries it in abundance. He arrived in this World Cup as the Nations League's sharpest finisher and gives Aguirre a proven game-management option — someone who can hold a ball, draw a foul, or conjure a crucial goal when the knockout pressure peaks

Watch for

Watch his work away from the ball — chest controls to kill long passes, intelligent movement to create space for Gimenez, and the composed finish inside the box that has defined his international career.

The X-Factor

Alexis Vega

Toluca

Alexis Vega, wearing #10 for Mexico and coming off consecutive Liga MX titles and a CONCACAF Champions Cup with Toluca, is the unpredictable weapon in Aguirre's system.

Why they matter

Vega enters this World Cup in the form of his life, and the #10 shirt on Mexican soil carries a mythology all its own. When he gets into his rhythm on the left flank, he's a player who can single-handedly change a match with a moment of improvisation that no defensive shape can plan for.

Watch for

Look for his dribbling combinations in tight spaces and his willingness to cut inside and shoot early. In a tournament where margins are razor-thin, Vega's ability to break a deadlock from seemingly nothing is Mexico's most electric variable.

The Breakout Candidate

Gilberto Mora

Tijuana

Gilberto Mora, the attacking midfielder from Tijuana, is the youngest player at the entire 2026 World Cup and already performing on the grandest stage at just 17.

Why they matter

Mora's inclusion signals that Aguirre isn't just thinking about this tournament — he's building toward the future, and the teenager is repaying that faith in real time. His presence gives Mexico a genuine wildcard: a player opponents have minimal footage on and who plays without fear.

Watch for

Watch his movement between the lines and his willingness to take on defenders without hesitation. Teenage players in World Cups historically either shrink or explode — every minute Mora gets, the world is watching to see which kind of talent he truly is.

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