As the one-year countdown to the 2026 World Cup, hosted in North America, officially begins, Mexico continues its preparations by facing Turkiye on Tuesday in another significant friendly fixture.
One of the three host nations for the upcoming World Cup, El Tri is currently in the final stages of getting ready for the Concacaf Gold Cup. This tournament represents a final opportunity for silverware before next year`s main event. Notably, Mexico recently claimed their first-ever Concacaf Nations League title in March, a significant achievement early in Javier Aguirre`s third tenure as head coach.
Tuesday`s match against Turkiye is the second of two friendly games for Mexico ahead of the Gold Cup. Their first preparatory match resulted in a 4-2 defeat against Switzerland. In that game, Santiago Gimenez scored just his fifth goal for the national team, while veteran Angel Sepulveda added a second goal for El Tri after coming on as a substitute.
Meanwhile, Turkiye is concluding their international window in the U.S. before their World Cup qualifying campaign starts in September. They are aiming to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2002. Their U.S. visit began 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`s essential information before the match:
Match Details
- 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
Historical Meetings
This upcoming match will be the first encounter between the senior men`s national teams of Mexico and Turkiye.
Insights from the Mexico Camp
Despite being a friendly, a loss for El Tri inevitably generates criticism in Mexico. The team faced considerable scrutiny after their defeat to Switzerland, a match where they seemed outplayed in certain aspects, particularly in attack. Although they had comparable possession and shots on target, Mexico managed only 1.11 expected goals from their 10 attempts.
Javier Aguirre, in his current spell as Mexico`s coach, acknowledged the criticism.
“It`s never good to lose,” he commented on Monday, as reported by Goal. “We didn`t play well. It was a game with many points to consider – more negatives than positives. However, we can appreciate the effort shown by Santiago Giménez and Angel Sepulveda. We welcome criticism; we will demonstrate our capabilities at the Gold Cup. We plan to rotate the squad against Turkiye; that`s the purpose of these friendlies. We need to ensure we are fully prepared.”
Insights from the Turkiye Camp
Even with World Cup qualifiers three months away, they are a key focus for Turkiye`s head coach Vincenzo Montella as his team concludes their U.S. trip with the friendly against Mexico.
“We should view this match as our final game of the season,” Montella stated, according to beIN Sports Turkiye. “We traveled to the USA with players who are ending their season, but they are in the middle of their seasons. Our opponents tomorrow are strong; they recently won the Concacaf Nations League. We are facing a quality opponent tomorrow, and we aim to finish this period strongly so we can fully concentrate on September afterward. September is very important for us.”
Part of the preparation might involve giving opportunities to younger players, allowing them to gain valuable experience before World Cup qualifying begins.
“Generally, we play friendly matches to enhance our performance,” Montella added. “We also have young players; two played for the first time in the last match, and perhaps others will make their debut in this game. I believe there shouldn`t be excessive changes overall; adjustments should be made thoughtfully. If there`s a clear game plan, I think it`s better to develop upon that while assessing everyone`s performance.”
Anticipated Starting 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 Keep an Eye On
Santiago Gimenez, Mexico: Mexico`s attacking performance has been a point of discussion for some time. Santiago Gimenez has earned a starting position based on his performances for European clubs. Last season, he scored 26 goals combined for Feyenoord and AC Milan, but this form hasn`t consistently translated to the national team. He scored only his fifth international goal on Saturday. However, a successful run of form this summer could potentially transform Mexico`s attack from a perceived weakness into a strength.
Key Narrative
World Cup Aspirations: The World Cup is just a year away, and while Turkiye hasn`t yet secured their spot, the tournament is undoubtedly a primary focus for most national teams worldwide. Both sides will likely use this friendly to experiment with personnel and tactical approaches to ensure they not only qualify but also perform impressively when the time comes. The stakes are high for both: Mexico wants to make a strong impression as a host nation and improve upon their group stage exit in 2022, while Turkiye aims for their first participation since their notable third-place finish in 2002.
Match Prediction
Given that both Mexico and Turkiye may prioritize experimentation in this friendly, predicting the outcome precisely is challenging. However, Turkiye`s attack might be better equipped to score goals at this moment, especially if Real Madrid`s Arda Guler is involved. Expect the game to slightly favor Turkiye in that scenario. Prediction: Mexico 1, Turkiye 2
Adrian Whitmore