Mexico’s 2026 World Cup preparations continue with a friendly match against Bolivia.
The Mexico national team’s January camp continues with a long trip south to face Bolivia on Sunday afternoon, aiming to start 2026 with consecutive wins. El Tri was far from flashy but managed to defeat Panama 1–0 on Thursday with a stoppage-time own goal.
Although it wasn’t a dominant performance, Mexico was far superior and a number of inexperienced players had strong displays that could help their chances of sneaking into The victory against Panama also saw Javier Aguirre’s side end a horrendous six-game winless streak that raised the alarms in the second half of 2025. With that weight off its shoulders, Mexico will be motivated to continue stringing together positive results before the. Óscar Villegas’s side are targeting a maiden World Cup appearance this century, and the bout against Mexico will serve as Bolivia’s final warm-up before it takes the pitch vs. Suriname looking to get within 90 minutes of next summer’s big dance.Bolivia’s preparations for the 2026 World Cup playoff continue. | Aizar Ralde/AFP/Getty Images Like El Tri, the majority of Bolivia’s roster for the match is made up of players from the local league, with historic powerhouse Club Bolívar supplying eight players to Villegas’s January camp. Over half of the players on Bolivia’s roster are U-23 talents. Villegas is assessing his options ahead of the World Cup playoffs, but the young side will be boosted by the presence of veteran goalkeeper Carlos Lampe. Youngsters Miguel Terceros and Ervin Vaca have become regulars under Villegas, and should get the nod for El Tri’s visit.Mexico started 2026 winning its first match since the 2025 Gold Cup final. | Arnulf Franco/AFP/Getty Images Aguirre is expected to make wholesale changes to the XI that took the pitch in Panama. However, for the first time in almost a year, El Vasco abandoned his preferred 4-3-3 set up and in favor of trialing a 3-4-3, something that’s expected to continue at least until the end of the January camp.The duo of Cruz Azul midfielders Erik Lira and Charly Gutiérrez will likely replace Luis Romo and Gutiérrez, and Jesús Gallardo could be the other wingback.Mexico predicted lineup vs. Bolivia Sunday’s clash will be a tightly-contested affair with scoring opportunities expected to be hard to come by for both teams. The majority of the game will be spent in midfield, with both teams prioritizing structure first and creativity in the final third second. As was the case against Panama—and for the majority of the latter part of 2025—don’t expect El Tri to suddenly become a chance-creating machine in attack. These players have spent little time training together, so some bumps along the road are understandable. Nevertheless, Mexico has enough quality from the midfield forward to threaten a Bolivia side devoid of its best talents. It will certainly be a tough fight, but one Mexico should be able to emerge victorious from.Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
AEW Collision Preview (1/24/26): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live StreamAEW World Trios Champion 'Hangman' Adam Page will face Katsuyori Shibata in hopes of reentering the AEW World title picture. Also, Willow Nightingale will defend the TBS Championship against Julia Hart.
Read more »
Ellie Bishop Has Intense Reunion With Nick Torres In New NCIS Season 23 PreviewEllie Bishop in NCIS season 23
Read more »
Celtics vs Bulls: Predictions and Preview for Tonight's NBA ClashAn in-depth look at the upcoming NBA game between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls, with a focus on key players, recent team performances, and expert analysis. Get the latest insights and predictions for this exciting matchup.
Read more »
Crystal Palace vs Chelsea: Premier League preview, team news, kick-off time & how to watchChelsea make the short trip across the capital to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
Read more »
Preview: Aztecs look to turn the page as they take on UNLV in Las VegasSan Diego State will try to split its road swing after losing at Grand Canyon in controversial fashion.
Read more »
Ben Stiller's Beloved Family-Friendly Fantasy Franchise Gets a Second Life on NetflixBen Stiller smiling on the red carpet
Read more »