As preparations continue for the 2026 World Cup, Mexico is set to play another challenging friendly match against Turkiye on Tuesday. This game comes as the one-year countdown to the tournament, hosted in North America, officially begins.
El Tri, one of the three host nations for the next World Cup, is in the final stages of getting ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup. This tournament represents their last opportunity to secure silverware before the World Cup. Mexico recently celebrated winning their first-ever Concacaf Nations League title in March, a significant achievement in the early months of Javier Aguirre`s third tenure as the national team coach.
Tuesday`s encounter with Turkiye is the second of two friendly matches for Mexico leading up to the Gold Cup. The first was a 4-2 defeat against Switzerland. In that game, Santiago Gimenez netted his fifth international goal, while veteran Angel Sepulveda added a second for El Tri coming off the bench.
Meanwhile, Turkiye traveled to the U.S. for their final international window before their World Cup qualifying campaign kicks off in September. They are aiming to reach the tournament for the first time since 2002. Their U.S. trip started positively with a 2-1 victory over the U.S. men`s national team on Saturday, featuring goals from Arda Guler and Kerem Akturkoglu.
Here is key information before the match:
Match Details and Odds
- Date: Tuesday, June 10
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- Location: Kenan Stadium — Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- TV: Univision | Live stream: Fubo (Subscription may be required)
- Odds: Mexico +150; Draw +235; Turkiye +170
Last Meeting
This match will be the first time the senior men`s national teams of Mexico and Turkiye have played each other.
Mexico`s Perspective
Even in a friendly, a loss for El Tri is never received well in Mexico. The national team faced significant criticism after their defeat to Switzerland, where they were seen as being second-best in certain areas, particularly in attack. Despite having equal possession and similar shots on target, Mexico generated only 1.11 expected goals from their 10 attempts.
Coach Javier Aguirre, in his third spell leading Mexico, acknowledged the criticism.
“It`s never good to lose,” he stated on Monday. “We didn`t play well. It was a game with many takeaways – more negatives than positives. But what we can take from it is the effort from Santiago Giménez and Angel Sepulveda. We welcome people`s criticism – we`ll show what we`re capable of at the Gold Cup. There will be squad rotations against Turkiye; that`s the purpose of these friendlies. We need to be fully prepared.”
Turkiye`s Perspective
Although World Cup qualifiers are still three months away, those games are the main focus for Turkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella as his team concludes their U.S. trip with the friendly against Mexico on Tuesday.
“We need to approach this match as the final game of the season for us,” Montella commented, according to beIN Sports Turkiye. “We came to the USA with our players who are at the end of their club season, while theirs is mid-season. Our opponent tomorrow is strong; they recently won the Concacaf Nations League. We face a good side, and we want to finish this period well so we can fully concentrate on September afterward. September is very important for us.”
This preparation might involve giving minutes to younger players, offering them valuable experience before the World Cup qualifiers begin.
“We generally use friendly matches to improve ourselves,” Montella added. “We also have young players; two of our players debuted in the last match, and possibly more players will make their first appearance in this game. I believe there shouldn`t be too many radical changes; it should be balanced. If there`s a game plan, it`s better to develop based on that and evaluate everyone.”
Predicted Lineups
Mexico: Luis Malagon, Julian Araujo, Cesar Montes, Mateo Chavez, Emilio Lara, Gilberto Mora, Edson Alvarez, Orbelin Pineda, Alexis Vega, Santiago Gimenez, Raul Jimenez
Turkiye: Berke Ozer, Zeki Celik, Merih Demiral, Samet Akaydin, Yasin Ozcan, Ismail Yuksek, Kaan Ayhan, Oguz Aydin, Arda Guler, Kerim Yildiz, Kerem Akturkoglu
Player to Watch
Santiago Gimenez, Mexico: Mexico`s attack has been a focus area for some time. Santiago Gimenez has earned a starting role based on his performance for European clubs, scoring 26 goals for Feyenoord and AC Milan last season. However, this form hasn`t consistently carried over to the national team, where he scored just his fifth international goal on Saturday. A strong run of form this summer could potentially transform Mexico`s attack from a weakness into a strength.
Storyline to Watch
The World Cup Horizon: The World Cup is now just a year away, and while Turkiye doesn`t have a guaranteed spot yet, it`s firmly on the minds of most national teams globally. Both Mexico and Turkiye will undoubtedly use this friendly to experiment with personnel and tactical approaches to ensure they are not only present at the World Cup but also capable of delivering impressive performances. The stakes are significant for both: Mexico aims to perform well as a host nation and redeem their group stage exit in 2022, while Turkiye targets their first appearance since their memorable third-place finish in 2002.
Prediction
Given that both teams are likely prioritizing experimentation, predicting the exact outcome of this match is challenging. However, Turkiye`s attack might be slightly better equipped to score goals at this moment, particularly if Real Madrid`s Arda Guler is involved. Expect the game to lean slightly in Turkiye`s favor in that scenario.
Pick: Mexico 1, Turkiye 2
