The Mexican national team faces Serbia this Thursday in their last rehearsal just seven days before the opening of the 2026 World Cup. Unlike what was shown in previous preparation matches, El Tri could start with a lineup very similar to the one that will open the World Cup curtain against South Africa on June 11, since all 26 called-up players are available under the orders of Javier Aguirre, including those who play in European football and joined the Mexican camp less than a week ago. This is the final stretch of a long six-week training camp and the last minutes on the field to resolve the coaching staff’s doubts before the World Cup debut.
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Mexico – Serbia, on free-to-air television
The friendly match will take place at the Nemesio Diez Stadium in Toluca and will start at 8:00 p.m. (Central Mexico time). The broadcast can be followed live on free-to-air television through Canal 5 (Televisa) and Canal 7 (TV Azteca). On streaming, the match will be available on the ViX app.
For this match, the sports management and coaching staff of El Tri opted for a European team with conditions similar to those of the Czech Republic, Mexico’s third opponent in the group stage and whose result could define the course of the final phase of the tournament. On paper, Mexico’s path in the World Cup is set to leverage its home advantage and qualify as leader of Group A, which it shares with South Africa, South Korea, and the Czech Republic. If the forecasts hold true, the team would return to the Azteca Stadium on June 30 to play the round of 16 against one of the best third-placed teams, a scenario that could be repeated on July 5, when the last round of the round of 16 will be played in Mexico City before the rest of the tournament continues in the United States.
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While the rest of the teams begin to arrive in dribs and drabs at their designated camps in North America, after the friendly match El Tri will return to the High Performance Center (CAR) south of the capital to prepare for the debut against South Africa with a schedule free of travel until June 18, when Mexico faces North Korea at the Chivas Stadium in Guadalajara.
