Mexico continues its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday with an international friendly against Turkiye. This fixture takes place as the one-year countdown to the tournament hosted in North America officially begins.
As one of the three host nations for the next World Cup, El Tri is in the final phase of readiness for the upcoming Concacaf Gold Cup, representing a key opportunity to secure silverware before the major global event. Mexico recently achieved a significant milestone by winning their first-ever Concacaf Nations League title in March, marking a positive development early in Javier Aguirre`s third period managing the national team.
The match against Turkiye is Mexico`s second friendly ahead of the Gold Cup. Their previous outing resulted in a 4-2 loss to Switzerland, where Santiago Gimenez registered his fifth national team goal and veteran Angel Sepulveda added a second goal after coming on as a substitute.
Meanwhile, Turkiye traveled to the United States for their last international matches before the commencement of their World Cup qualifying campaign in September. Their objective is to reach the tournament for the first time since 2002. Their tour began successfully with a 2-1 victory over the U.S. men`s national team on Saturday, thanks to goals from Arda Guler and Kerem Akturkoglu.
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
- Odds: Mexico +150; Draw +235; Turkiye +170
Last Meeting
This friendly will mark the very first encounter between the senior men`s national football teams of Mexico and Turkiye.
Team News: Mexico
In Mexico, a loss for the national team, even in a friendly, invariably leads to criticism. The defeat against Switzerland attracted considerable commentary, particularly concerning the team`s attacking performance. Despite having comparable possession and shots on target as Switzerland, Mexico generated only 1.11 expected goals from their 10 attempts.
Javier Aguirre, in his current role as head coach, accepted the criticism, stating: “It`s never good to lose… We didn`t perform well. It was a match from which we learned a lot – with more negatives than positives. However, the effort shown by Santiago Giménez and Angel Sepulveda is something positive. We welcome criticism – we intend to demonstrate our capabilities at the Gold Cup. There will be squad rotations against Turkiye; these friendlies serve for preparation. We must ensure we are fully ready.”
Team News: Turkiye
Although World Cup qualifiers are still several months away, they are clearly a key focus for Turkiye`s head coach Vincenzo Montella as his squad concludes their visit to the U.S. with this match against Mexico.
Montella commented: “We should consider this match as the last game of our season. We came to the USA with players finishing their European seasons, while the opponent is in the middle of their schedule. Our opponent tomorrow is strong; they recently secured the Concacaf Nations League title. We are facing a capable team tomorrow, and we want to end this period positively so we can fully concentrate on September, which is highly important for us.”
Montella also indicated that young players might receive playing time to gain valuable experience before the qualifiers: “We generally use friendly matches for self-improvement… We have young players; two made their debut in the last match, and potentially others will get their first appearance in this game. I believe significant changes in the squad are not ideal; it should be balanced. If there is a defined game plan, it`s much better to develop it based on that and evaluate all players.”
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
Key Player to Watch
Santiago Gimenez, Mexico: The attacking third has been an area of scrutiny for Mexico for some time. Santiago Gimenez has established himself as a potential starter based on his strong performances in European club football (scoring 26 goals combined for Feyenoord and AC Milan last season). However, this prolific form has not yet consistently translated to the national team, where he scored only his fifth international goal on Saturday. A successful run of form this summer could potentially transform Mexico`s attack from a point of concern into a significant strength.
Match Context: World Cup Aspirations
With the World Cup roughly a year away – and Turkiye still needing to secure their spot – the tournament is undoubtedly a primary focus for national teams worldwide. Both sides will likely utilize this friendly to experiment with tactics and evaluate personnel. The stakes are considerable: Mexico aims to perform impressively as a host nation and redeem their group stage exit in 2022, while Turkiye is targeting their first participation in the competition since their memorable third-place finish in 2002.
Match Prediction
Pick: Expect the match to slightly favour Turkiye. Mexico 1, Turkiye 2.
