Mexico enters the final stretch of its 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations with a friendly match against Japan.
El Tri defeated the USMNT in the Gold Cup final back in July in the final competitive match it’ll play before it hosts the inaugural game of the World Cup next summer. Javier Aguirre’s side only has friendly matches on the docket from now on.
The squad Mexico will bring to the September friendlies is very similar to the one that participated in the Gold Cup. It’s clear Aguirre already has a good idea of what the World Cup roster will look like, meaning this is a chance for fringe players to impress and grab some of the final spots on the list for next summer.
Japan will be a good adversary. Hajime Moriyasu’s team were the first outside of the host countries to clinch their place in the World Cup. With many players that feature for solid European clubs making the trip to the U.S. for the friendly, Mexico is in for a tough matchup.
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