Johan Vásquez, Raúl Jiménez are El Tri leaders, but who joins them? Mexico’s 2026 World Cup roster projection

GOAL's picks: Raúl Rangel, Luis Ángel Malagón, Guillermo Ochoa
In the mix: Carlos Acevedo

Enough with long lists. Let’s get straight to the point.

Aguirre has already said that goalkeeper is the position where he has the fewest doubts, and since returning to the El Tri bench for his third stint, Luis Ángel Malagón and Raúl Rangel have both stood out whenever called upon. However, Rangel appears to have edged past the Club América keeper in the race to become the starter.

The Chivas goalkeeper is emerging as the frontrunner to start at the World Cup, although the final matches will provide a clearer picture. Aguirre has rotated both, but in recent games, he has leaned more heavily on Rangel.

Now, despite Guillermo Ochoa not having played a match with the Mexican national team since 2024 and not being called up since the Gold Cup, reports suggest he is expected to return for the final round of friendlies. That would indicate he is likely to make the final squad and compete in a record-breaking sixth World Cup, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

This situation has been highly controversial. Many believe Santos Laguna goalkeeper Carlos Acevedo deserves a spot on the list due to the high level he has shown in recent years. A segment of the fanbase even feels he should be the starter, and that it would be unfair to leave him out. Still, the fact that he does not play for a major club like América or Chivas is seen by some as a factor that hurts his chances of breaking into the Mexican national team.

GOAL's picks: Johan Vásquez, César Montes, Mateo Chávez, Jesús Gallardo, Israel Reyes, Jorge Sánchez, Ramón Juárez, Richard Ledezma

In the mix: Julián Araujo, Rodrigo Huescas, Jesús Orozco, Everardo López

Johan Vásquez and César Montes are locked in at center back. But the right-back position remains a complete unknown, mainly due to Rodrigo Huescas’ injury, the inconsistency shown by Jorge Sánchez and Kevin Álvarez, and Julián Araujo’s lack of playing time in Europe before his move to Celtic in Scotland.

Because of all that, Chivas player Richard Ledezma has entered the race. The opposite flank appears to be Mateo Chávez’s to lose, although Jesús Gallardo will also be pushing for a spot. Jesús Orozco suffered a fracture last tournament with Cruz Azul, which puts his availability in serious doubt.

Ledezma, born in the U.S., only recently became eligible to play for Mexico and made a strong impression, and when factoring in his solid performances with Chivas, he finds himself in a good position to sneak into the final list.

GOAL's picks: Edson Álvarez, Gilberto Mora, Marcel Ruiz, Erik Lira, Luis Romo, Orbelín Pineda, Álvaro Fidalgo, Roberto Alvarado, Obed Vargas, Diego Lainez

In the mix: Carlos Rodríguez, Erick Sánchez, César Huerta, Luis Chávez, Brian Gutiérrez, Alexis Gutiérrez

As mentioned several times, this is the position that will give Aguirre the biggest headache when it comes time to name the final squad. It’s where the most names and the most talent are concentrated - but unfortunately, not everyone can go.

Captain Edson Álvarez remains the leader of Mexico’s midfield. That is true despite a difficult spell in Europe with Fenerbahçe -who will not make his move permanent - and an ankle injury that will sideline him for several weeks.  However, his lack of minutes and El Tri’s struggles in midfield when he plays could - though still unlikely - raise questions about his status as a guaranteed starter. His best role may be at center back, where Mexico avoid the loss of pace seen when he plays in midfield.

Beyond that, the rest of the midfield picture is full of uncertainty. Gilberto Mora and Marcel Ruiz have recently been the starters, bringing creativity and freshness to the middle of the park, while players like Obed Vargas and Luis Romo would add muscle and physicality when it comes to ball recovery.

It remains unclear what shape Aguirre will choose for the opening match, although he typically sets his teams up in a 4-3-3. Real Betis midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo will be eligible to represent Mexico for the matches against Portugal and Belgium, giving him a strong chance - if he makes the final 26-man squad - to claim a starting role, as he is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders in Liga MX.

Diego Lainez and César Huerta face the biggest uphill battle to make the squad. Lainez has shown a high level in Liga MX, while Huerta is currently injured and is not fully to Aguirre’s liking. Once recovered, whether Huerta can rediscover his form with Anderlecht will determine if Aguirre decides to factor him in.

One regular starter who is likely to miss out is Luis Chávez of Dynamo Moscow, as he continues to recover from an ACL injury and is unlikely to be ready in time for the World Cup - although nothing has been definitively decided yet.

GOAL's picks: Raúl Jiménez, Santiago Giménez, Alexis Vega, Julián Quiñones, Germán Berterame

In the mix: Hirving Lozano, Armando González, Ángel Sepúlveda

The player arriving in the best form is Julián Quiñones, who is battling for the scoring title in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Ivan Toney. However, he is also the forward Aguirre seems to like the least - perhaps due to concerns over fit and consistency. 

Aguirre continues to stick with trusted veteran Raúl Jiménez, who will be the undisputed starting striker, followed by Santiago Giménez. Giménez has been dealing with an ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for several months, and while his return date remains unclear, the AC Milan forward will not lose his place - unlike what happened in 2022, when Gerardo Martino left him out of the squad for Qatar.

Alexis Vega is also recovering from a knee injury and was recently operated on. His participation is not considered at risk, but there are still questions about the condition he will be in for the opening match.

Germán Berterame has been consistent, and his move to Inter Miami will bring him greater media exposure. He has also delivered when called up by Aguirre, scoring goals in recent appearances.

There are still doubts, and we’ll see whether Aguirre has the nerve to leave out Armando González, the Liga MX revelation who finished as the league’s top scorer, or if he opts to exclude Quiñones instead. There is simply no room for everyone.

Lastly, the saga involving Chucky Lozano and San Diego FC has the Mexican winger up against the wall just months before the World Cup. Being outside the club’s plans in MLS has clearly hurt his chances of making the final roster. Unless Lozano changes teams soon, time may be running out.