Mexico's Edson Alvarez: We Can Go Far at the World Cup

Mexico’s captain Edson Álvarez said that his team can go far in the World Cup.

"I’m happy because we have faced those rivals before," Alvarez said to TUDN of his team’s group. The team will face South Korea, South Africa and one playoff winner.

Group A: Mexico, South Africa, South Korea & UEFA Playoff D | 2026 FIFA World Cup Draw

Álvarez said that playing at home will also help the Mexican team try to emulate its best historical results, reaching the quarterfinals in the previous World Cups played in Mexico in 1970 and 1986.

"You feel a responsibility as one of the hosts to open this great event," Álvarez said. "We rely on the extra support the fans give us, and opening the event against South Africa helps, and we can do great things."

Mexico’s coach Javier Aguirre said that not knowing one of their rivals for the World Cup would be a challenge for one of the host nations.

"We recently played Korea. We know South Africa very well, but the Europeans (in the playoff) are very different. I will put my assistants to work and analyze them all to find opponents that resemble them," Aguirre said.

Aguirre, in his third stint as Mexico’s coach, was at the helm when Mexico played South Africa at the 2010 inaugural match.

Where is the World Cup Opener?

Mexco will open the 2026 World Cup on June 11 against South Africa at a renovated Estadio Azteca on June 11.  

Mexico has played South Africa once in World Cup history at the inaugural match of the 2010 World Cup, a 1-1 draw that was also played on June 11.

The Mexican team back then was coached by Javier Aguirre, who is at the helm now for a third time.

In that match, former Barcelona defender Rafael Marquez scored for the Mexican side. Marquez is now an assistant in the national team.

The match will be the first official one at the Azteca stadium, which has been closed for renovations since May 2024.

Reporting by The Associated Press. 

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