Mexico threatens its players with their World Cup places with ultimatum in statment

Players have been threatened with the loss of their World Cup roster spots in a recent statement -Credit:Alfredo ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images

“All players must report to the High Performance Center in Mexico City. As instructed by the coaching staff, any player who does not report today will be left off the World Cup roster.”

This strange approach only adds to the federation’s already questionable approach to preparing for the World Cup.

As mentioned in their message, on April 28, the federation unveiled a 20-player roster consisting purely of players based in Mexico. Of those players, 12 were “being considered” for spots on the 2026 World Cup roster, while the remaining eight were to participate in the training camp on the basis that they were under consideration for the next World Cup cycle.

All in all, the players will be together for five and a half weeks of training, during which Mexico will take on Ghana, Australia, and Serbia in pre-World Cup friendlies. During this time, not only will the eight potential future players be observed with 2030 in mind, but they will also help “to strengthen the working group for the preparation matches before the [2026] World Cup.”

Mexico’s final 26-player roster, including those based elsewhere, will be announced on June 1.

The co-hosts have been drawn into Group A alongside 2010 hosts South Africa, 2002 co-hosts South Korea, and Czechia. The tournament will kick off in Mexico City on June 11, when El Tri host South Africa at Estadio Azteca.

They will then face South Korea at Estadio Akron in Zapopan on June 18, before closing out their group stage on June 24 back in Mexico City against Czechia.

Mexico enters this World Cup ranked 15th, looking to put the disappointment of its 2022 performance in Qatar - when they failed to make it out of the group stage - behind them.

Prior to Qatar, Mexico had been knocked out in the Round of 16 in the past seven straight World Cups, whilst their best-ever performances saw them reach the quarter-finals in 1970 and 1986 - both of which they hosted.

As for this year’s co-hosts, the U.S. Men’s National Team has been drawn into Group D along with Australia, Paraguay, and Türkiye, while Canada will compete in Group B alongside Switzerland, Qatar, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.