El Tri faces another formidable European foe as World Cup preparations intensify.
The Mexico national team faces European powerhouse Belgium on Tuesday night at Soldier Field in the final match before Javier Aguirre reveals his preliminary 2026 World Cup roster.on Saturday evening. Despite the result, Mexico was still dominated by a Portugal side that never left first gear, exposing the gap that exists between the top teams in the world.
last time out, extending its unbeaten run to 10 games. The “golden generation” might be a thing of the past, but Belgium still oozes talent and has more than enough tools to dispatch the other Concacaf powerhouse on Tuesday. It’s the final opportunity for a number of fringe players to impress Aguirre in the battle for a roster spot. A good performance and result would also go a long way toward improving El Tri’s confidence with theEl Tri’s Attacking Woes Intensify Against BelgiumSettling for a scoreless draw against a powerhouse like Portugal is a positive result on paper, but Mexico’s limitations, especially in attack, were on full display Saturday night. Facing a superior team like Belgium makes it difficult to envision El Tri suddenly finding solutions to fix a misfiring attack. Belgium, on the other hand, have been prolific in front of goal during its recent stellar run. Even if Rudi García decided to make wholesale changes to the XI that started against the , it was mainly the substitutes that starred in Saturday’s win in Atlanta, and it still boasted superior individual quality. A third straight win should be in the cards for Belgium.: Mexico’s backline has done alright since Aguirre return, but since the 2025 Gold Cup, El Tri has only scored four goals in seven games during FIFA windows, getting blanked four times.: Belgium is a completely different story. García’s side has 17 goals in its last four games and has only failed to find the back of the net once during its 10-game unbeaten run—scoring 37 goals in that stretch.: The last time Mexico defeated a team inside the top 10 of the FIFA World Rankings was the historic 1–0 win over Germany in its opening game of the 2018 World Cup.The core of the XI that started against Portugal could repeat. | FotMob Although Aguirre said he still considers the March window an opportunity for players to audition, it’s unlikely that he makes wholesale changes to the XI that took the pitch against Portugal, especially in defense considering the quality of opponent in front. Raúl Rangel, Jesús Gallardo, Johán Vasquez, César Montes, Erik Lira, Roberto Alvarado and Álvaro Fidalgo could all keep their place in the lineup, with the latter trying to create some chemistry with other El Tri midfielders and all signs pointing towards him becoming a World Cup starter. Jorge Sánchez and Orbelín Pineda didn’t feature against Portugal, but the pair of Greek league talents could get the nod on Tuesday.sensation Armando González leading the line replacing Raúl Jiménez, eager to make amends for the clear miss that cost Mexico the win against Portugal.: Rangel; Sánchez, Montes, Vásquez, Gallardo; Fidalgo, Lira, Pineda; Alvarado, González, Quiñones.García could make nine changes to the XI that started against the USMNT. | FotMob Plenty of changes are expected in Belgium’s XI, resting stars such as Kevin De Bruyne, Jérémy Doku and Charles De Ketelaere and saving them for the second half.teammate Amadou Onana in the lineup, playing as an attacking midfielder with veteran Axel Witsel completing the pivot behind him. The center back duo of Koni de Winter and Arthur Theate could also get the nod in defense, with Timothy Castagne replacing Thomas Meunier at right back. Dodi Lukébakio bagged a brace on Saturday and should start on the right wing, with the exciting young Ajax wide attacker Mika Godts on the left. Loïs Openda has struggled in his loan spell at Juventus and could lead the line looking for a confidence boost. Finally, Matz Sels could replace Senne Lammens in goal, as García continues to analyze who should backup the injured Thibaut Courtois come the World Cup. Arsenal playmaker
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