Mexico World Cup 2026 guide: Fixtures, prediction, key player and odds

Hosts Mexico are World Cup stalwarts, and they will be hoping that a hint of home advantage will drive them into the latter stages this summer.

Javier Aguirre’s men are two-time quarter-finalists on the global stage, but they have only reached that far at home tournaments.

They were in 1970 and 1986, where they were defeated by beaten finalists West Germany on penalties.

Now, ‘El Tri’ will be looking to repeat that feat – or perhaps go even further – as they welcome the biggest sides in international football once more.

Goalkeepers: Raul Rangel, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Ochoa

Defenders: Israel Reyes, Jesús Gallardo, Jorge Sánchez, César Montes, Johan Vásquez, Mateo Chávez

Midfielders: Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Obed Vargas, Brian Gutiérrez, Orbelín Pineda, Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, César Huerta, Álvaro Fidalgo, Luis Chávez

Forwards: Roberto Alvarado, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Santiago Gimenez, Guillermo Martínez, Armando González, Raúl Jiménez

vs South Africa (8pm on June 11, Estadio Banorte)

vs South Korea (2am on June 19, Akron Stadium)

vs Czechia (2am on June 25, Estadio Banorte)

El Tricolor have been placed in a group where they will fancy their chances.

They take on the weakest side – South Africa – first, opening the tournament in front of their adoring fans in Mexico City, before a couple of banana skins against South Korea and Czechia.

If they can harness their raucous home support, they should reach the last 16 at least.

West Ham midfielder Edson Alvarez captains the side from the centre of midfield, and it will be down to him to start attacks with forward passes as well as breaking up opposing moves.

Up top, Fulham forward Raul Jimenez will be tasked with scoring the goals to get Mexico out of the group stage and into the knockouts, and he will have AC Milan’s Santiago Gimenez there to ease the burden slightly.

To win the World Cup: 66/1

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