Mexico continues its preparations for the 2026 World Cup by facing Turkey on Tuesday in another significant friendly match, as the one-year countdown to the tournament in North America officially starts.
El Tri, one of the three host nations for the upcoming World Cup, is currently finalizing preparations for the Concacaf Gold Cup. This tournament offers a final opportunity to secure silverware before next year`s main event. Mexico recently won their first-ever Concacaf Nations League title in March, a significant achievement early in Javier Aguirre`s third tenure as national team coach.
Tuesday`s fixture against Turkey is Mexico`s second and final friendly before the Gold Cup. Their first pre-tournament match resulted in a 4-2 defeat against Switzerland. Santiago Gimenez netted only his fifth goal for the national team in that game, while experienced player Angel Sepulveda scored a second for El Tri after coming on as a substitute.
Meanwhile, Turkey has traveled to the U.S. for their last international matches before their World Cup qualifying campaign begins in September. They are aiming to qualify for the tournament for the first time since 2002. Their current international break started 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 is what you need to know before watching:
How to Watch Mexico vs. Turkey, 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; Turkey +170
Last Meeting
This friendly marks the first-ever encounter between the senior men`s national teams of Mexico and Turkey.
What Mexico Are Saying
Saturday`s match might have been a friendly, but a loss for El Tri is never received well in Mexico. The national team has faced considerable criticism following their defeat to Switzerland, a game where they seemed outplayed in certain aspects, particularly in attack. Although possession was even and shots on target were comparable, Mexico generated only 1.11 expected goals from their 10 attempts.
Javier Aguirre, in his third spell as Mexico`s head coach, accepted the criticism.
`Losing is never good,` he commented on Monday, according to Goal. `We didn`t play well. It was a game with many takeaways, more negative than positive. But the effort from Santiago Giménez and Angel Sepulveda is salvageable. We welcome criticism; we`ll show what we can do at the Gold Cup. There will be squad rotation against Turkey, which is the purpose of these friendlies. We need to be fully prepared.`
What Turkey Are Saying
Even though World Cup qualifiers are still three months away, those games are top of mind for Turkey head coach Vincenzo Montella as his team concludes their U.S. trip with Tuesday`s friendly against Mexico.
`We should approach this match as the final one of our season,` Montella stated, according to beIN Sports Turkey. `We traveled to the USA with players who are ending their season, while others are in mid-season. Tomorrow`s opponent is strong; they recently won the Concacaf Nations League. We face a good side, and we want to conclude this period positively as we will then fully concentrate on September, which is very important for us.`
This preparation might involve giving minutes to young players, allowing them to gain valuable experience before World Cup qualifying starts.
`We typically use friendly matches to improve,` Montella added. `We also have young players… potentially some will make their debut in this match. I believe there shouldn`t be too many changes overall; they should be balanced. If a game plan exists, it`s better to develop it based on that and assess everyone.`
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
Turkey:
- Berke Ozer
- Zeki Celik
- Merih Demiral
- Samet Akaydin
- Yasin Ozcan
- Ismail Yuksek
- Kaan Ayhan
- Oguz Aydin
- Arda Guler
- Kerim Yildiz
- Kerem Akturkoglu
Player to Watch
Santiago Gimenez, Mexico: The Mexican attack has been under scrutiny for some time. Santiago Gimenez has earned a starting spot based on his performance for European clubs. He scored 26 goals for Feyenoord and AC Milan last season but has only managed five international goals. A strong showing this summer could transform the attack from a potential weakness to a strength for Mexico.
Storyline to Watch
World Cup in sight: With the World Cup only a year away (and Turkey yet to qualify), the tournament is definitely on everyone`s mind. Both teams will likely use this friendly to test players and tactics to ensure they not only reach the World Cup but also deliver an impressive performance. The stakes are high: Mexico wants to impress as a host nation and make up for their 2022 group stage exit, while Turkey aims to return to the competition for the first time since their impressive third-place finish in 2002.
Prediction
Given that experimentation might be a top priority for both Mexico and Turkey, it`s difficult to predict the outcome accurately. However, Turkey`s attack seems more potent currently, especially if Real Madrid`s Arda Guler is involved. Expect the game to lean in Turkey`s favor in that case.
Prediction: Mexico 1, Turkey 2
