Mexico national team manager Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino has promised that there won’t be many surprises in the list of players he nominates for the 2022 FIFA World Cup final line-up.
The intrigues with El Tri will come in the form of injuries, particularly among the forwards. Mexico has been plagued by scoring problems for the last year, with Mexico’s top attackers struggling for fitness and form in recent months and it’s unclear if some of them will be able to bounce back in time.
Mexico will use a final World Cup camp and friendly on November 9 to help Martino select the 26 players from the preliminary list he will present a month before the tournament begins.
El Tri will set up camp in Girona, Spain before heading to Qatar. They will play Iraq on 9 November and Sweden on 16 November before taking on Poland in Group C on Tuesday 22 November.
Here’s a predicted preliminary list and final World Cup squad for Mexico, based on Martino’s call-ups and line-up decisions over the past few months.
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Mexico World Cup squad 2022
Director Tata Martino has until Friday 21 October to provide FIFA with an official provisional list of 35-55 players from which he will select his final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday 14 November.
Based on last year’s World Cup qualifying squads and friendlies squads, these are the names most likely to be on Martino’s provisional list.
| position | player | association | Age | caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| goalkeeper | Carlos Acevedo | Santos Lagoon (MEX) | 26 | 4 |
| goalkeeper | Rodolfo Cota | Club Leon (MEX) | 35 | 8th |
| goalkeeper | Guillermo Ochoa | Club America (MEX) | 37 | 129 |
| goalkeeper | Alfredo Talavera | Juarez FC (MEX) | 40 | 38 |
| defender | Kevin Alvarez | Pachuca (MEX) | 23 | 5 |
| defender | Jesus Angelo | Tiger UANL (MEX) | 24 | 11 |
| defender | Julian Araujo | LA Galaxy (USA) | 21 | 3 |
| defender | Nestor Araujo | Club America (MEX) | 31 | 60 |
| defender | Gerhard Arteaga | Genk (BEL) | 24 | 16 |
| defender | Jesus Gallardo | Monterrey (MEX) | 28 | 76 |
| defender | Caesar Montes | Monterrey (MEX) | 25 | 27 |
| defender | Hector Moreno | Monterrey (MEX) | 34 | 124 |
| defender | Israel Reyes | Puebla (MEX) | 22 | 3 |
| defender | Osvaldo Rodriguez | Leon (MEX) | 26 | 7 |
| defender | Jorg Sanchez | Ajax | 24 | 24 |
| defender | John Vasquez | Cremonese (ITA) | 23 | 6 |
| midfield player | Edson Alvarez | Ajax | 24 | 58 |
| midfield player | Fernando Beltran | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 9 |
| midfield player | Sebastian Cordova | Tiger UANL (MEX) | 25 | 14 |
| midfield player | Andre Guardado | Real Betis (ESP) | 36 | 177 |
| midfield player | Erick Gutierrez | PSV Eindhoven (NED) | 27 | 33 |
| midfield player | Hector Herrera | Houston Dynamo (USA) | 32 | 101 |
| midfield player | Orbelin Pineda | AEK Athens (GRE) | 26 | 48 |
| midfield player | Carlos Rodriguez | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 33 |
| midfield player | Luis Romo | Monterrey (MEX) | 27 | 25 |
| midfield player | Eric Sanchez | Pachuca (MEX) | 23 | 6 |
| Forward | Roberto Alvarado | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 30 |
| Forward | Uriel Antuna | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 33 |
| Forward | Tecatito Corona | Seville (ESP) | 29 | 71 |
| Forward | Rogelio Funes Mori | Monterrey (MEX) | 31 | fifteen |
| Forward | Santiago Gimenez | Feyenoord (NED) | 21 | 8th |
| Forward | Raul Jimenez | Wolves (ENG) | 31 | 96 |
| Forward | Diego Lainez | Braga (POR) | 22 | 20 |
| Forward | Hirving Lozano | Naples (ITA) | 27 | 59 |
| Forward | Henry Martin | Club America (MEX) | 29 | 23 |
| Forward | Rodolfo Pizarro | Monterrey (MEX) | 29 | 23 |
| Forward | Alexis Vega | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 20 |
Final 26-man Mexico World Cup squad
Martino will use the friendly against Iraq in Girona, Spain, to finalize his squad of 26 players. Here’s a projected look at a plausible 26-man roster, assuming all players are fit and ready.
There is no way Martino will take four center forwards. It’s likely only one between Rogelio Funes Mori and Raul Jimenez will make it and it will come down to who is the strongest. It’s also hard to imagine how Tecatito Corona will return in time after breaking his leg, despite Tata Martino’s hopeful words in recent weeks.
| position | player | association | Age | caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| goalkeeper | Carlos Acevedo | Santos Lagoon (MEX) | 26 | 4 |
| goalkeeper | Guillermo Ochoa | Club America (MEX) | 37 | 129 |
| goalkeeper | Alfredo Talavera | Juarez FC (MEX) | 40 | 38 |
| defender | Kevin Alvarez | Pachuca (MEX) | 23 | 5 |
| defender | Nestor Araujo | Club America (MEX) | 31 | 60 |
| defender | Gerhard Arteaga | Genk (BEL) | 24 | 16 |
| defender | Jesus Gallardo | Monterrey (MEX) | 28 | 76 |
| defender | Caesar Montes | Monterrey (MEX) | 25 | 27 |
| defender | Hector Moreno | Monterrey (MEX) | 34 | 124 |
| defender | Jorg Sanchez | Ajax | 24 | 24 |
| defender | John Vasquez | Cremonese (ITA) | 23 | 6 |
| midfield player | Edson Alvarez | Ajax | 24 | 58 |
| midfield player | Luis Chavez | Pachuca (MEX) | 26 | 5 |
| midfield player | Andre Guardado | Real Betis (SPA) | 36 | 177 |
| midfield player | Erik Gutierrez | PSV (NED) | 27 | 33 |
| midfield player | Hector Herrera | Houston Dynamo (USA) | 37 | 101 |
| midfield player | Orbelin Pineda | AEK Athens (GRE) | 26 | 48 |
| midfield player | Carlos Rodriguez | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 33 |
| midfield player | Luis Romo | Monterrey (MEX) | 27 | 25 |
| Forward | Uriel Antuna | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 33 |
| Forward | Santiago Gimenez | Feyenoord (NED) | 21 | 8th |
| Forward | Raul Jimenez | Wolves (ENG) | 31 | 96 |
| Forward | Diego Lainez | Braga (POR) | 22 | 20 |
| Forward | Hirving Lozano | Naples (ITA) | 27 | 59 |
| Forward | Henry Martin | Club America (MEX) | 29 | 23 |
| Forward | Alexis Vega | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 20 |
Stars, Strengths and Weaknesses of the Mexico National Team
Mexico have been regulars in the knockout rounds of the World Cup for the past seven editions, reaching the round of 16 each time.
But that’s where the road ends, with seven consecutive round-of-16 losses to Brazil (2018), Argentina (2006 & 2010), the Netherlands (2014), Germany (1998), Bulgaria (1994) and rivals USA (2002).
El Tri hired Argentinian manager Tata Martino to help them achieve what they dreamed of Quinto Partido (“Fifth Game” or a Quarterfinal appearance).
Stars
If they want to reach their stated goal or go even further, they need the Napoli winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano being a difference maker and inspiring them in attack. He has the skills to scramble opposing defenders and open spaces for his teammates.
Strengthen
Mexico’s squad is technically and tactically solid, with players adept at keeping possession and managing a game. The question is whether they can harm the opposition by doing so?
This is where Chucky Lozano comes in.
Along with Alexis Vega and Jesus “Tecatito” Corona – if he can make it back in time after a broken left fibula and ligament damage to his left ankle sustained in training with Sevilla – the wingers are essentially the team’s playmakers. If opposing teams can take them out, Mexico will have a hard time threatening.
weaknesses
It is Goal scoring and set-piece defencewhich do not result in a particularly promising combination.
Mexico’s revolving door in the front positions has received much praise, but the problem lies less in their closing strength and more in their lack of service. As mentioned above, if the wingers aren’t cooking, there’s little chance the creation will come from anywhere else.
When he’s healthy, Wolves forward Raul Jimenez is the acting starter and Santiago Gimenez is his backup. But there’s a case for Henry Martin, a hard-working forward who is selfless and comes back to help build attack. Some days Mexico needs that extra help in midfield.
MORE: Full 2022 FIFA World Cup schedule, dates and times
World Cup Group Mexico
El Tri, No. 13 in the FIFA World Ranking, has been drawn Group C of the FIFA World Cup 2022. Only the The top two teams in each group advance.
Mexico will hope to have picked up enough points in their opening two games against Robert Lewandowski’s Poland and Lionel Messi’s Argentina to advance against Saudi Arabia in the final matchday.
| date | Fit | time (ET) | Stadion |
| Tue, Nov 22 | Argentina vs. South Arabia | 5 am | Lusail Stadium |
| Tue, Nov 22 | Mexico against Poland | 11 clock | Stadium 974 |
| Sat, Nov 26 | Poland vs. South Arabia | 8 o’clock | Education City Stadium |
| Sat, Nov 26 | argentina vs Mexico | 14 o’clock | Lusail Stadium |
| Wed, Nov 30 | Poland vs Argentina | 14 o’clock | Stadium 974 |
| Wed, Nov 30 | South Arabia vs. Mexico | 14 o’clock | Lusail Stadium |
Mexico vs Poland squad, line-up
The guess would be that Martino would opt for the proven Monterrey pairing Caesar Montes and Hector Moreno against Lewandowski. Ajax right-back Jorg Sanchez and Genk left-back Gerhard Arteaga would be the first-choice full-backs to join them in the four-man back line.
ajax Edson Alvarez is a fixture for Mexico in deep midfield. It will be either veteran Andre Guardado or Livewire Luis Chavez to his left and PSV Eindhoven Erick Gutierrez or ex-husband of Atlético Madrid Hector Herrera to his right.
In addition to Chucky Lozanothe fast one Uriel Antuna would be a real weapon in the other winger position. if Raul Jimenez not fit yet, target man from Feyenoord Sant Gimenez Projects to be the next best option to hitting bodies with the Polish centre-backs.
Mexico predicted starting XI against Poland
GC: Guillermo Ochoa
DFs: Jorge Sanchez – Cesar Montes – Hector Moreno – Gerardo Arteaga
MFs: Erick Gutierrez-Edson Alvarez-Andres Guardado
Firmware: Uriel Antuna – Santiago Gimenez – Hirving Lozano
Can Mexico replace players in World Cup squad?
Once the final 26-man squad is official, teams participating in the World Cup can only make changes prior to the first game of the tournament and only in exceptional circumstances.
According to the Official Tournament Rules (page 32), “A player named on the final list may only be substituted in the event of a serious injury or illness up to 24 hours before the start of his team’s first game.”
The team in question would have to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines that “the injury or illness is so serious that the player is unable to play at the FIFA World Cup”, the replacement will be allowed.
The substitute player must be from the provisional list of players submitted to FIFA in October.
