Mexico have already made history heading into the 2026 World Cup.
They become the first nation in the tournament’s history to host or part-host the men’s World Cup, having previously held it in 1970 and 1986.
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Now, they have joined forces with the United States and Canada in what is the biggest World Cup ever played.
Mexico are one of the most iconic teams in World Cup history. A nation full of soccer fans, El Tri have played in all but five editions of the tournament, yet they have never been past the quarter-final stage.
Here, we will map out their potential route to the 2026 World Cup final.
While nothing is guaranteed, Mexico will be expected to win Group A – which also includes South Africa, Czechia and Korea Republic.
In that event, they would face a game against the third-place finisher of Group C, E, F, H or I in Mexico City.
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Though hard to predict, they could be up against any of Cote d’Ivoire, Ecuador, Scotland, Haiti, Sweden, Tunisia or Saudi Arabia on July 1.
From there, they would play a round of 16 game on July 6 in Mexico City against the winners of match 80, which pits the Group L winners against the third-placed team in Group E/H/I/J/K.
Mexico could then play the winners of Match 91 (Group C winners vs Group F runners-up) in Houston on June 29.
The semi-final would then take them to Atlanta on July 15 before a potential World Cup final in New York on July 19.
Mexico will no doubt hope that their home advantage will be enough to help them through Group A as the winner.
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Still, finishing second would also guarantee qualification for the last 32 at least.
If they finish second, Mexico would play the team who finished second in Group B – which could be Qatar, Switzerland or Canada – in Los Angeles.
Their round of 16 game would then be played in Houston on July 4, with the quarter-finals in this particular path coming on July 9 in Boston. The semi-final would then take place in Dallas on July 14.
The eight best teams who finish third in their groups will also qualify. They will be judged on their points totals, goal difference, disciplinary record and/or FIFA ranking.
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If Mexico were to squeeze into the last 32 by finishing third, they will play the winners of Group E (likely Germany) in Boston.
Should they get past that, their round of 16 task would come on July 4 in Philadelphia. The quarter-final would take place in Boston on July 9 before a semi-final trip to Dallas on July 14.
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