Mexico vs Portugal
Portugal will test their mettle without their skipper, Cristiano Ronaldo, starting with their visit to the rebranded Estadio Banorte (formerly known as Estadio Azteca) on Saturday to face Mexico in an International Friendly.
Roberto Martinez’s side was one of the first few teams to secure their tickets to this summer’s World Cup after his men claimed the top spot in Group F with 13 points. This will be Portugal’s seventh consecutive appearance in the big dance before their eighth in 2030, as they’re one of the co-hosts alongside Spain and Morocco.
Speaking of co-hosting the World Cup, Mexico are one of them this year, joining Canada and the United States. Javier Aguirre’s men will also use this international break to build chemistry and sharpness within their team.
Talking Points
Notable absences for Mexico
But Javier Aguirre will deploy a drastically different Mexico squad this international break, as he’s missing 12 regular call-ups and five other starters ahead of the Portugal and Belgium matches. Captain Edson Alvarez, Santiago Gimenez, Gilberto Mora, Luis Chavez, Julian Araujo, Cesar Huerta, Rodrigo Huescas, Marcel Ruiz, Hirving Lozano, and Luis Malagon are among those who are absent.
Malagon’s absence opened the door for the return of Guillermo Ochoa, who was called up to the team for the first time since the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he was a substitute throughout the tournament. And there’s a huge chance that the 40-year-old goalkeeper will make his sixth World Cup appearance. Ochoa is third in Mexico’s all-time caps list at 151.
Raul Jimenez is another key veteran present in Mexico’s squad, and the Fulham striker is expected to spearhead the El Tri attack. The 34-year-old is Mexico’s third all-time leading scorer with 44 goals (121 caps), and he can leapfrog Jared Borgetti (46) for second place this weekend.
Real Betis midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo is ready to make his debut, while Jesus Gallardo and Orbelin Pineda are also pushing for starts in the backline and in midfield, respectively.
Portugal optimistic about Ronaldo’s recovery
Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of Portugal’s squad this international break, as the Al-Nassr striker is recovering from a right hamstring injury he sustained last month. Many fans are worried about Ronaldo given his advancing age, but head coach Roberto Martinez insists his World Cup future is secure.
Assuming things go to plan, Ronaldo should be good to go in the Selecao’s opening match on June 17 in Houston, Texas, when they’ll face the Path 1 winner of the inter-confederation play-offs, especially since his suspension was reduced to only one game following his red card against the Republic of Ireland last November.
Even without Ronaldo, Portugal’s attack shouldn’t skip a beat, as they still have forwards Goncalo Ramos, Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Neto, and Joao Felix, with Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha, and Joao Neves pulling the strings in midfield.
History
Portugal are undefeated in their five previous meetings with Mexico (W3, D2). They last faced off during the battle for third place in the 2017 Confederations Cup, where the Selecao needed extra time to beat El Tri 2-1. Despite being on the losing side, Guillermo Ochoa was named Man of the Match for his string of crucial saves. Interestingly, Ochoa remains the only active player ahead of this weekend who featured in that game.
Since Roberto Martinez took over as head coach, Portugal have lost only twice since Euro 2024 (W11, D3) while scoring at least twice in 10 of those wins. Those losses have both come on the road, though, with them leading after 90 minutes in just four of their last 12 international matches on foreign soil (D5, L3).
Mexico are undefeated in their last 20 home games (W14, D6). El Tri have secured nine clean sheets in their last 14 international matches (W7, D5, L2).
Betting Tip
The International Friendly 2026 odds predict Portugal to maintain their unbeaten streak against Portugal this Saturday. Portugal have the advantage at 2.02, whereas Mexico aren’t far behind at 3.19, and a draw is at 3.00 in the 1X2 market.
Both teams should have enough International Friendly 2026 highlights in them for the fans to enjoy, though the visitors will likely score more goals. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP punters may also add Over 2.25 at 1.72, Over 2.50 at 2.00, and Total Goals 2-3 at 1.97 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Portugal – the result of their previous encounter – offers a handsome payout of 8.20 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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