Aguirre Pulls Mexico Players Early, Betting Extended Camp Unlocks Home Advantage

Aguirre Pulls Mexico Players Early, Betting Extended Camp Unlocks Home Advantage

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre assembled the first group of domestic players at the national training center on May 6 – more than five weeks before the team’s World Cup opener on June 11 against South Africa – adopting a preparation model he credits with driving El Tri to the quarterfinals as a player at the 1986 tournament, also held on home soil.

To secure Liga MX players before the domestic season concluded, Aguirre persuaded the 18 first-division club owners last December to release players ahead of schedule, while separately negotiating early releases from European clubs for the 14 Mexico internationals competing abroad. Youth academy players initially filled out training sessions while the senior squad arrived in stages. By the time Mexico beat Ghana 2-0 in a warmup match last week, 18 of the final 26 players were available. The approach has drawn public skepticism from former national team manager Ricardo La Volpe, who argued that training without a full squad was counterproductive and that players would be better served maintaining match sharpness through the Liga MX playoffs. Defender Israel Reyes, speaking from inside the camp, said the extended time together was building cohesion that would matter under tournament pressure. The Mexican Football Federation spent 400 million pesos – approximately 23 million U.S. dollars – renovating the Centro de Alto Rendimiento on the outskirts of Mexico City, expanding the gym from 1,200 to 6,000 square meters and growing player accommodation from 20 to 45 private rooms.

Mexico’s participation in the 2026 World Cup carries particular historical weight. The country’s only two quarterfinal appearances came in 1970 and 1986, both on home soil. The 2026 edition, co-hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada, uses an expanded 48-team format. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico was eliminated in the group stage.

Mexico faces Australia in a friendly on Saturday in Pasadena, California, then hosts Serbia in Toluca on June 4 before the tournament begins. In Group A, El Tri will also play South Korea and the Czech Republic following the South Africa opener at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.