Mexico Vs Ghana: Aguirre Opens Puebla Camp With 20 Liga MX Players
Mexico vs Ghana opened Mexico’s final push toward the 2026 World Cup on Friday night in Puebla, where Javier Aguirre used a home friendly to start narrowing his group. The match came after camp opened on May 6 with 20 Liga MX players, and the coach has already been working with the squad for two weeks.
Aguirre’s Puebla test
Mexico played at home in the altitude of Puebla, a setting that fit this stage of preparation. Aguirre is evaluating fringe players before naming his final 26-man World Cup roster, so every minute carries weight for players trying to stay in the picture.
The setup also gave Mexico a longer runway than Ghana, whose squad was mostly built from local league talent and U-23 players. That gap in preparation made the friendly less about spectacle and more about sorting through options before the roster is trimmed.
Edson Álvarez Joins Camp
Mexico’s group has started to fill out as players from overseas leagues joined camp, including captain Edson Álvarez and Guillermo Ochoa. Johan Vásquez is part of the player pool as Aguirre continues to assemble the side that will head into the tournament.
The coach had 20 Liga MX players at the start of camp, then added more senior names as the buildup moved forward. That mix is the clearest sign of how Mexico is balancing internal auditions with the need to get established players back into the same training block.
Portugal, Belgium, Australia
Mexico entered the Ghana match after draws against Portugal and Belgium, results that gave the staff some positive momentum without finishing the job. The calendar still includes another friendly against Australia before Aguirre reveals the final World Cup roster, and the staff has four pre-tournament friendlies to work through before June 11.
For players on the edge, the next training sessions matter as much as the scoreboard in Puebla. Aguirre has already seen enough to know he can keep pushing competition inside the group, but the final 26 spots will not last long once the last friendlies are done.
