Mexico began its final push toward the 2026 World Cup on Friday night with a friendly against Ghana in Puebla, a match that came as Javier Aguirre’s squad was still taking shape. The game was one of four pre-tournament friendlies Mexico has before the World Cup, and it arrived with the coach still waiting on the full roster he wants to judge before naming his final list.
Aguirre started camp on May 6 with 20 Liga MX players and had already spent two weeks training with the group by the time Ghana arrived. Since then, more players based overseas have started to join the camp, including Edson Álvarez and Guillermo Ochoa, but Johan Vásquez had still not reported. Mexico is also scheduled to play Australia before Aguirre unveils his final World Cup roster, which will include 26 spots.
The friendly fit into a stretch that has already given Mexico a clearer picture of where it stands. Before facing Ghana, the team had drawn with Portugal and Belgium, results that suggested a side capable of matching stronger opposition while still trying to settle on its best shape. Friday’s match also mattered because Mexico’s World Cup debut is set for June 11 against South Africa, leaving little time for a full group to come together.
Ghana arrived in Puebla with a squad made up mostly of local league players and U-23 prospects, a reflection of a different stage in its own buildup. For Mexico, the contrast mattered less than the timing. Aguirre is using these matches to see how the pieces fit before the real tournament pressure begins, and the next few days will decide whether the late arrivals can blend quickly enough to change his mind.
That is the real test now: not whether Mexico can produce another respectable result, but whether Aguirre can leave this stretch with a roster he trusts. With only one more friendly against Australia before he sets his final 26-man World Cup squad, every training session and every minute on the field carries more weight than the scoreline alone.
