Goalkeeper
- Carlos Acevedo: Likely going as 3rd keeper in 2026 but I did expect him to take over after Memo’s 2022 World Cup.
- David Ochoa: A case study on how to run your career into the ground. He is currently without a team in 2026.
- Alex Padilla: Only 22 and will get chances in the 2030 cycle.
- Guillermo Ochoa: Back for his last hurrah in 2026.
Mexico took a 40yr old, 35 yr old and a 37yr old to Qatar in 2022. So the keeper pool needed a refresh badly. No one really had Tala Rangel in their predictions back in early 2023 or Malagon. Makes sense though as Rangel only started seeing consistent playing time with Chivas in early 2024.
Centerbacks
- Emilio Lara: Broke out as a 20yr old in the 22/23 season at Club America but never reached those heights again. Only 1 appearance for Mexico since 2022.
- Cesar Montes: Played every minute in Qatar and should do the same this summer.
- Johan Vasquez: Did not see any minutes in Qatar but its hard to imagine Mexico’s backline without him. He was Mexico’s 2nd youngest player in Qatar.
- Victor Guzman: Just turned 24yrs old but many had him being an important part of the national team by now. Has only played twice for Mexico since Vasco got the job. One to watch for the 2030 cycle.
- Israel Reyes: Was just starting to break into the national team picture in 2022 but did not make the roster. Pretty good chance he starts at Right Back this summer.
Montes/Johan was the starting pairing most predictions had, including mine. I think Mexico’s future CB pipeline is looking good with Montes and Vasquez as the pillars heading towards 2030.
Fullbacks
- Julian Araujo: Fresh off signing with Barcelona in January 2023, he was a sexy pick to start at RB in 2026. Has a small chance at 2026 but injuries and a lack of playing time have hurt him the last 18 months.
- Jorge Sanchez: The much maligned Sanchez has a very good chance of making his 2nd World Cup this summer.
- Omar Campos: He was starting regularly in LigaMX as an 18yr old, amassing nearly 50 starts by the time he turned 20. Unfortunately, it has only led to 1 cap with Mexico. Still only 23 and one to watch in the 2030 cycle.
- Gerardo Arteaga: Moved to Belgium in the summer of 2020 and made the 2022 roster as the 3rd youngest player for Mexico. While he did not see minutes, many assumed he would become the #1 option at Left Back for El Tri. While he did start every game at the 2024 Copa America for Mexico, he has not seen the field since for the national team.
- Kevin Alvarez: He was Mexico’s youngest player in Qatar and played in 2 games. Alvarez made his big money move to Club America in the summer of 2023 but has only made 1 appearance for Mexico since September 2023. He ain’t making the final roster.
I was on the Arteaga hype train myself and thought it would be him and Alvarez in 2026. They have both combined to play 0 minutes for Mexico since August 2024.
Midfielder
- Edson Alvarez: Currently, he is the captain for Mexico and will make the roster.
- Luis Chavez: Just returning back to action after suffering an ACL tear last summer. Has an outside chance at making the roster
- Marcel Ruiz: Tore his ACL last month but reports are it was not a “full tear” and he might be able to play this summer. Sounds like a bad idea to me but I’m no doctor. He would have been a starter if healthy this summer.
- Erick Gutierrez: Returned to Chivas in summer of 2023. He went from captaining Chivas in the 2025 Apertura to not making the bench in 2026. He has 1 appearance for Mexico since the 2022 World Cup.
- Jeremy Marquez: Still waiting for his official debut for Mexico.
- Sebastian Cordova: Tata gave him his debut and 14 of his 18 caps but he has only played 67 minutes for Mexico since 2023.
My biggest disappointment in this group is Guti. I thought he would be the Guardado of this cycle, a strong veteran presence in the middle but it was not meant to be.
Attacking Midfielders
- Alex Alcala: The much hyped prospect has 0 minutes at the first team level and is seeing time with the Queretaro U21 team.
- Diego Lainez: It just hasnt clicked for Lainez with the National team. Still has a chance to make the roster but reports last month say Vasco will not call him up this summer.
- Marcelo Flores: He will be going to the World Cup… with Canada after filing his 1 time switch earlier this year.
- Hirving Lozano: After a return to the national team last Fall, Chucky did not seek a move away from San Diego even after the club said he wouldn’t play. He is chilling in SoCal collecting his $7m salary and not even making the bench in MLS.
- Jordan Carillo: He was in Europe as 21yr old back in 2023 and showed promise but has not quite broken out. Been a solid LigaMX player the last couple of years.
- Ozziel Herrera : Won back to back league titles with Atlas in 21/22 seasons. Made his Mexico debut in first window after the World Cup and played a decent amount that summer. After European rumors the same summer, he signed with Tigres and has literally not sniffed the national team since.
Lainez and Flores were a couple of my safe bets to make the 2026 WC roster back in 2023 but none of these guys developed this past cycle. The lack of development is a big reason Mexico has no game breakers willing to go 1v1 on the wings. There is 0 winger depth in the current player pool.
Striker
- Santiago Gimenez: Was inexplicably left off the 2022 roster so Tata could give Rogelio Funes Mori 4 minutes. All signs point to him making it in 2026.
- JJ Macias: Injuries robbed him of a career.
- Santiago Munoz: The Newcastle loan did not amount to anything and he is sitting on 9 career goals. Back in LigaMX playing for San Luis.
After a brutal 2022 World Cup, Raul Jimenez making the 2026 roster, much less starting, was not something we all thought would happen. His late career rebirth has bought Mexico another cycle to develop his replacement.
Rarely are those way too early roster predictions accurate. 4 years is a long time to predict who will develop and LigaMX clubs dont have the best track record of developing young Mexican talent. It was still a nice stroll down memory lane, I have not thought about several of these players in years.
Who was your favorite prediction for the 2026 roster that flamed out along the way?