Mexico vs. Ghana - prediction, team news, lineups

Mexico and Ghana statesman their World Cup 2026 preparations astatine Estadio Cuauhtemoc connected Friday, with the 2 nations heading into the planetary tourney with differing objectives.

El Tri are co-hosts alongside Canada and the United States, a presumption that brings a peculiar benignant of pressure, portion the Black Stars request Carlos Queiroz to settee successful rapidly if they are to extremity their wretched tally of results.

Match preview

To accidental Ghana request Queiroz to get up to velocity successful a trice would beryllium stating the obvious, arsenic the West African federation caput into their 5th quality astatine the planetary tournament.

The Black Stars gave Otto Addo the heave-ho aft a dismal 4th consecutive decision during the March internationals, with 5-1 and 2-1 losses to Austria and Germany sealing the erstwhile winger’s fate.

Given their caller results, Ghana person mislaid 4 matches successful a enactment by an aggregate people of 10-2, which does not bode good up of a large tourney successful which they volition look Panama, England and Croatia.

That highlights the magnitude of the task facing the experienced Queiroz, who is heading into his 5th World Cup, having antecedently been progressive with Portugal successful 2010 and Iran successful 2014, 2018 and 4 years agone successful Qatar.

A accelerated commencement is imperative for the 73-year-old, who volition astatine the precise slightest purpose to unafraid the West African nation’s archetypal triumph since October’s wins implicit the Central African Republic (5-0) and Comoros (1-0).

Mexico, similar the Black Stars, whitethorn not person galore of their Europe-based stars disposable for Friday night’s game, but El Tri volition look to support their beardown signifier up of a tourney they are co-hosting.

Unbeaten since a 2-1 decision to Paraguay successful November, Javier Aguirre’s men person since recorded 3 wins and 2 draws, though the second brought an extremity to the side’s four-match tally of cleanable sheets.

Although they suffered a post-Gold Cup hangover — going six matches without a win, a tally that ended with the decision to Paraguay — Mexico’s effect successful 2026 has been admirable.

The bedrock of their occurrence has been a coagulated defence, which kept 4 consecutive cleanable sheets against Panama (1-0), Bolivia (1-0), Iceland (4-0) and Portugal (0-0), earlier Belgium’s Dodi Lukebakio ended that tally during the March planetary break.

With momentum connected their side, Aguirre’s men volition not privation to fto up successful warm-up matches against Ghana, Australia and Serbia earlier facing South Africa, South Korea and Czechia astatine adjacent month’s finals.

Mexico International Friendlies form:

Ghana International Friendlies form:

Ghana signifier (all competitions):

Team News

While Aguirre has named his 55-player preliminary squad for the 2026 finals, Friday’s fixture volition beryllium without the bulk of those players, with the broadside comprising Mexico-based players arsenic European leagues person yet to reason oregon person lone conscionable concluded.

Chivas guardant Armando Gonzalez — who scored and provided an assistance successful the 4-0 triumph implicit Iceland — is apt to pb the attack, with nine team-mate Roberto Alvarado and Kevin Castaneda successful supporting roles.

Almost definite to commencement for the hosts are Raul Rangel successful goal, Israel Reyes, Denzell Garcia and Jesus Gallardo successful defence and Erik Lira and Brian Gutierrez successful the El Tri motor room.

Queiroz’s Ghana squad comprises U23 stars from the Olympic squad and home players, with notable names including Felix Afena-Gyan, Majeed Ashimeru and Razak Simpson.

Benjamin Asare has replaced Gidios Aseako since the squad was announced, with the Hearts of Oak shot-stopper apt to adhd to his 11 planetary appearances against Mexico.

Reports successful Ghana person revealed that St Etienne brace Ebenezer Annan and Augustine Boakye and Gremio’s Francis Amuzu volition miss retired due to the fact that of nine commitments, with 19-year-old Jerry Afriyie present called up aft missing retired connected the archetypal squad.

Mexico imaginable starting lineup:

Rangel; Garcia, Reyes, Aguila, Gallardo; Romo, Lira, Gutierrez; Alvarado, Gonzalez, Castaneda

Ghana imaginable starting lineup:

Asare; Adade, Simpson, Adjei, Annan; Issah, Ashimeru, Adams; Afriyie, Afena-Gyan, Opoku

We say: Mexico 2-0 Ghana

While Ghana volition anticipation a managerial alteration sparks an contiguous response, the Black Stars caput into this fixture connected the backmost of excessively galore mediocre results to animate afloat confidence.  

Mexico, by contrast, look the steadier broadside and could marque their superiority number successful a regular victory.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.