It is a special World Cup for Mexico, with El Tri playing its group stage on home soil. Win the group? The next two games also would take place in Mexico.
Things have gone well for Mexico when it has hosted the World Cup. In both 1970 and 1986, the national team won a knockout match — something it thenfailed to do despite having a strong generation of players who excelled abroad. Manager Javier "Vasco" Aguirre is back for his third stint leading the national team, hoping that a home crowd once again helps push El Tri deep into the knockout stages.
Mexico has the added quirk of having some of the squad already together. Aguirre and Liga MX owners struck an agreement before the season that players called up for his World Cup squad would be released in the first week of May. Those players, we believe, are guaranteed to make the World Cup roster. Our projections reflect those call-ups.
Who will make Mexico's final list? We project the full 26-man squad here:
Mexico goalkeepers: Raul “Tala” Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa
Every since Américagoalkeeper Luis Angel Malagon suffered an Achilles injury, this looked to be the most likely trio of players. All three already are in camp and working with the national team, as is León prospect Oscar Garcia with an eye toward the future.
The real intrigue around the position group is not who is going, but if Ochoa will play. Chivas shot-stopper Rangel looked to have won the No. 1 job even before Malagon's injury, but is making a sixth World Cup roster enough for the 40-year-old or does he want to play in a fourth tournament? If Mexico isn't qualified going into the last group game, the coaching staff may have a tough decision to make.
Mexico defenders: Johan Vasquez, Cesar Montes, Jesus Gallardo, Israel Reyes, Jorge Sanchez, Julian Araujo
In the mix: Richy Ledezma, Everardo Lopez, Mateo Chavez, Jesus Angulo, Victor Guzman
With only six names on the list, this position group looks thin.
But there is more depth than initially meets the eye. Edson Alvarez could be listed as a defender on the final call-up, even if he's an option to play in the midfield as well. The same can be said of both Erik Lira and Luis Romo. That trio of players has played in the same style as current Mexico assistant Rafa Marquez, either in a line of three or as a central midfielder who slips between the center backs when the situation calls for it.
Still, there are depth concerns. Reyes, a converted central defender himself, is the likely starter at right back, and Araujo may not be fit in time for the tournament after missing the end of the season with Celtic.
This is the position group where Aguirre is most likely to break his own rule and bring in a player based in Liga MX but not in the training camp, be it Chivas fullback Richy Ledezma or Toluca center back Everardo Lopez.
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The good news is that if the starters stay healthy, the Vasquez-Montes pairing in the middle can be trusted, and you know what you'll get from Gallardo.
Mexico midfield: Gilberto Mora, Alvaro Fidalgo, Edson Alvarez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Orbelin Pineda, Luis Chavez, Brian Gutierrez, Roberto Alvarado, Obed Vargas
In the mix: Marcel Ruiz, Jordán Carrillo,Charly Rodriguez,Jordán Carrillo
Alvarez, Lira and Romo occupy the central positions, while rising star Mora, Spain-born Fidalgo and Alaska-born Vargas are among the options for two-way midfielders in the 4-3-3 system. Pineda, who reported to camp this week after helping AEK to a Greek title, is an old reliable who raises the floor if not the ceiling of the team.
Chivas teammates Gutierrez and Alvarado give plenty in attack, and Gutierrez's rise from Chicago Fire youngster to potential World Cup starter has been remarkable.
Chavez would make his Mexico return after tearing his ACL before the Gold Cup last summer. He's suited up several times for Dinamo Moscow, and his World Cup experience combined with the continued recovery could make him a good option.
Mexico forwards: Raul Jimenez, Hormiga Gonzalez, Memo Martinez, German Berterame, Alexis Vega, Julian Quiñones, Santi Gimenez
In the mix: Cesar Huerta
Alvarado, Mora, Gutierrez and Pineda in the last group give plenty going forward, and both Vega and Quiñones have been in superb form for the last year, Quiñones winning the top scorer award in Saudi Arabia over Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo, Vega keying Toluca to back-to-back Liga MX titles and helping the Diablos Rojos to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal. Vega can play as a playmaker, a winger who cuts inside or a second forward, while Quiñones has been a central forward at the club level but also has excelled out wide.
The rest of the players listed are center forwards, and it's a lot of central forwards to take. But Pumas forward Martinez's inclusion in the domestic-based camp seems to indicate Aguirre will load up on No. 9s (even if only one player is actually wearing that number), perhaps with rotation in mind. That is great news for Santi Gimenez, who is in poor form in Europe but may still sneak into the last roster spot.
Mexico World Cup roster projection
Goalkeepers (3):Raul “Tala” Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa
Defenders (6):Johan Vasquez, Cesar Montes, Jesus Gallardo, Israel Reyes, Jorge Sanchez, Julian Araujo
Midfielders (10):Gilberto Mora, Alvaro Fidalgo, Edson Alvarez, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Orbelin Pineda, Luis Chavez, Brian Gutierrez, Roberto Alvarado, Obed Vargas
Forwards (7):Raul Jimenez, Hormiga Gonzalez, Memo Martinez, German Berterame, Alexis Vega, Julian Quinones, Santi Gimenez
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Mexico national team 2026 World Cup roster prediction
