After a one-day delay that only added to the suspense—and confusion—Mexico finally unveiled its first batch of Liga MX-based players for the World Cup early Tuesday morning.
This comes as part of Javier Aguirre’s master plan: pull domestic players out of the Clausura 2026 Liguilla so they can focus entirely on national team duties. Because, of course, nothing says “optimal preparation” like skipping the most competitive matches of the season.
To make things even more… binding, the Federación Mexicana de Futbol and Aguirre himself promised that any Liga MX player called up now would already have a guaranteed ticket to the World Cup. No pressure, right?
The first 12 are in (and apparently, locked in)
Mexico’s 2026 World Cup squad began to take shape on April 28, with 12 Liga MX players officially confirmed for the tournament.
Chivas leads the way with five players—once again positioning itself as the backbone of El Tri heading into a World Cup. Toluca follows with two representatives.
Meanwhile, some teams heading into the Liguilla—like Pachuca, Tigres, and Atlas—will enjoy a rare luxury: a full squad, no absences, and the added bonus of fielding all their foreign players. Competitive balance? Optional.
The late surprise? The inclusion of Guillermo Martínez from Pumas, because every list needs at least one plot twist.
Confirmed Liga MX call-ups for the 2026 World Cup:
- Raúl Rangel (Chivas)
- Carlos Acevedo (Santos)
- Jesús Gallardo (Toluca)
- Israel Reyes (América)
- Brian Gutiérrez (Chivas)
- Luis Romo (Chivas)
- Gil Mora (Tijuana)
- Erik Lira (Cruz Azul)
- Roberto Alvarado (Chivas)
- Armando González (Chivas)
- Alexis Vega (Toluca)
- Guillermo Martínez (Pumas)
The notable absences (aka, the other headline)
With every list comes a list of omissions… and this one didn’t disappoint. Several players who had been part of Aguirre’s process in recent years are now officially out of the World Cup picture:
- Carlos Rodríguez (Cruz Azul)
- Diego Lainez (Tigres)
- Richard Ledezma (Chivas)
- Erick Sánchez (América)
- Jesús Angulo (Tigres)
- Ramón Juárez (América)
- Diego Campillo (Chivas)
- Elías Montiel (Pachuca)
- Everardo López (Toluca)
So yes, the message is clear: continuity is optional.
Sparring partners: training today, watching tomorrow
In a move reminiscent of Gerardo Martino’s approach four years ago, Aguirre also called up a group of additional players to serve as sparring partners. They’ll train with the squad but won’t be eligible to play in the World Cup—essentially high-level practice opposition.
All of them come from teams already eliminated from the Liguilla and will report on May 6 to the national team’s training center.
- Óscar García (León)
- Luis Rey (Puebla)
- Eduardo Águila (Atlético de San Luis)
- Jesús Gómez (Tijuana)
- Denzell García (Juárez)
- Iker Fimbres (Monterrey)
- Jairo Torres (Juárez)
- Kevin Castañeda (Tijuana)
What’s next? Friendlies… and final decisions
Mexico’s preparation match schedule is set:
- May 22 vs Ghana in Puebla
- May 29 vs Australia at the Rose Bowl
- June 4 vs Serbia in Toluca
The World Cup kicks off for Mexico on June 11 against South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Still to come is the final roster, which should include Europe-based players such as Guillermo Ochoa, Johan Vásquez, César Montes, Edson Álvarez, Obed Vargas, Álvaro Fidalgo, Raúl Jiménez, Santiago Giménez, and Julián Quiñones—among others.
There are also injury concerns surrounding Rodrigo Huescas, Luis Chávez, and César Huerta, because no World Cup buildup is complete without a little uncertainty.
We also recommend: https://hooligan-soccer.com/mexicos-world-cup-plan-is-already-backfiring/
