Mexico national team manager Gerardo 'Tata' Martino had been promising that there were not going to be many surprises in the list of players he named in the final roster for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The intrigue with El Tri came in the form of injuries, especially among the forwards. Scoring issues have plagued Mexico over the last year, with the best Mexican attackers struggling for fitness and form in recent months, and it's unclear whether some of them will be able to recover in time.
Mexico announced their preliminary roster for the World Cup on October 26 before the final 26-man roster was announced on November 14.
Here is Mexico's final 26-man squad called in by Tata Martino for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
MORE: Closer look at Mexico's group opponents at the FIFA World Cup
Mexico World Cup squad 2022
Manager Tata Martino had until Friday, October 21 to submit to FIFA an official preliminary list of 35-55 players, from which he will select his final 26-man roster for Qatar by Monday, November 14.
The preliminary list was officially unveiled on October 26 by the Mexican federation.Those that didn't make the initial preliminary list includedJavier "Chicharito" Hernandezwho has been frozen out of the national team since 2019 by Martino. Chicharito's exclusion is unsurprising given Martino's continued stance on the player, but it remains controversial given the player's good form for LA Galaxy and Mexico's attacking woes.
Also not included was Chicharito's LA Galaxy teammateJulian Araujo,Monterrey playmakerRodolfo Pizarro, and Chivas midfielder Fernando Beltran. Pizarro is a well-known figure, but he has not been involved heavily with the national team since 2020, while Beltran has been a fringe player over the past six months.
MORE: A closer look at the snubs on Mexico's provisional roster (Spanish)
For the final 26-man roster, Martino needed to make just four cuts from the31-man preliminary roster. That's becauseMexico announced that Jesus Manuel 'Tecatito' Corona will not be back from his injury in time for the World Cup.
| Position | No. | Player | Club | Age | Caps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | 12 | Rodolfo Cota | Club Leon (MEX) | 35 | 8 |
| GK | 13 | Guillermo Ochoa | Club America (MEX) | 37 | 132 |
| GK | 1 | Alfredo Talavera | FC Juarez (MEX) | 40 | 40 |
| DEF | 26 | Kevin Alvarez | Pachuca (MEX) | 23 | 8 |
| DEF | 2 | Nestor Araujo | Club America (MEX) | 31 | 63 |
| DEF | 6 | Gerardo Arteaga | Genk (BEL) | 24 | 17 |
| DEF | 23 | Jesus Gallardo | Monterrey (MEX) | 28 | 79 |
| DEF | 3 | Cesar Montes | Monterrey (MEX) | 25 | 31 |
| DEF | 15 | Hector Moreno | Monterrey (MEX) | 34 | 128 |
| DEF | 19 | Jorge Sanchez | Ajax (NED) | 24 | 26 |
| DEF | 4 | Johan Vasquez | Cremonese (ITA) | 23 | 7 |
| DEF | 4 | Edson Alvarez | Ajax (NED) | 24 | 59 |
| MID | 24 | Luis Chavez | Pachuca (MEX) | 26 | 9 |
| MID | 18 | Andres Guardado | Real Betis(SPA) | 36 | 180 |
| MID | 14 | Erick Gutierrez | PSV (NED) | 27 | 34 |
| MID | 16 | Hector Herrera | Houston Dynamo (USA) | 37 | 102 |
| MID | 8 | Carlos Rodriguez | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 37 |
| MID | 7 | Luis Romo | Monterrey (MEX) | 27 | 27 |
| FWD | 17 | Orbelin Pineda | AEK Athens (GRE) | 26 | 50 |
| FWD | 25 | Roberto Alvarado | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 32 |
| FWD | 21 | Uriel Antuna | Cruz Azul (MEX) | 25 | 37 |
| FWD | 11 | Rogelio Funes Mori | Monterrey (MEX) | 31 | 16 |
| FWD | 9 | Raul Jimenez | Wolves (ENG) | 31 | 97 |
| FWD | 22 | Hirving Lozano | Napoli (ITA) | 27 | 60 |
| FWD | 20 | Henry Martin | Club America (MEX) | 29 | 27 |
| FWD | 10 | Alexis Vega | Chivas (MEX) | 24 | 23 |
WORLD CUP 2022 SELECTED SQUADS:
Australia | Argentina| Belgium | Brazil| Cameroon
Canada | Costa Rica | Croatia|Denmark | England
France| Germany|Ghana | Iran| Japan| Mexico
Netherlands| Poland | Portugal | Qatar| Senegal
Serbia | Spain | Switzerland | Uruguay| USA| Wales
Mexico national team stars, strengths & weaknesses
Mexico has been a regular in the knockout stage of the World Cup for the last seven editions, reaching the Round of 16 on each occasion.
But that's where the road has ended, with seven straight defeats in the Round of 16 to the likes of Brazil (2018), Argentina (2006 & 2010), Netherlands (2014), Germany (1998), Bulgaria (1994), and rivals USA (2002).
El Tri hired Argentine manager Tata Martino to help guide them to the dreamed of Quinto Partido ("Fifth Game," or a quarterfinal appearance).
Stars
If they're going to reach their stated goal or even go further, they are going to need Napoli winger Hirving "Chucky" Lozano to be a difference-maker and inspire them in attack. He has the skills to send opposing defenders into scramble mode and open up spaces for his teammates.
Strengths
Mexico's squad is technically and tactically sound, with players who are savvy at keeping possession and managing a game. The question is whether they can hurt the opposition with it.
That's where Chucky Lozano comes in.
Along with Alexis Vega on the left side, Uriel Antuna on the right, and Diego Lainez off the bench, these wingers are essentially the team's playmakers. If opposing teams can shut them down, Mexico will have a tough time threatening.
Weaknesses
It's goalscoring and set-piece defending, which don't make for a terribly promising combination.
Much is made of Mexico's revolving door at the forward positions, but the problem is less about their finishing ability and more about lack of service. As mentioned above, if the wingers aren't cooking, there's little chance creation coming from anywhere else.
When healthy, Wolves forward Raul Jimenez is the incumbent starter, and Santiago Gimenez is his backup. Given Gimenez's goal-scoring run with Feyenoord (six goals in 16 matches), the 21-year-old could be pushing to be the starter.
But there's also an argument to be made for Henry Martin, a hard-working forward who is unselfish and comes back to help with the attacking buildup. On some days, Mexico will need that extra help in midfield.
MORE:
Mexico World Cup group
El Tri, No. 13 in the FIFA world rankings, were drawn intoGroup C of the 2022 FIFA World Cup alongside Argentina, Poland and Saudi Arabia.
Only the top two teams in each group will advance.
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Argentina 1S. Arabia 2 | 5 a.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Tues, Nov. 22 | Mexico 0Poland 0 | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Poland 2S. Arabia 0 | 8 a.m. | Education City Stadium |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Argentina 2Mexico 0 | 2 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Poland vs. Argentina | 2 p.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | S. Arabia vs. Mexico | 2 p.m. | Lusail Stadium |
Can Mexico replace players on World Cup roster?
Once the final 26-man roster is official, participating teams at the World Cup can only make changes before the first game of the tournament, and only in the case of extraordinary circ*mstances.
According to the official tournament rules(page 32), "a player listed on the final list may only be replaced in the event of serious injury or illness up until 24 hours before the start of his team's first match."
The team in question would need to submit a medical report to FIFA and if the world governing body determines "the injury or illness is sufficiently serious to prevent the player from taking part in the FIFA World Cup" then the replacement will be allowed.
The replacement player must come from the preliminary list of players submitted to FIFA in October.
