Javier Aguirre Counts on Mexico Team’s Mental Resilience. Javier Aguirre has expressed full confidence in Mexico’s preparation for the start of the World Cup. The coach highlighted the importance of psychological readiness and team unity. Some forced changes have occurred in the squad due to injuries.
Ahead of the start of the FIFA World Cup in Mexico, national team head coach Javier Aguirre emphasized the team's psychological readiness and unity. According to the specialist, the current squad stands out for its clear understanding of its objectives and confidence in its own abilities, despite personnel losses and the pressure of playing at home.
Aguirre, who has led the national team at two World Cups and has also played on the field himself, stressed that experience from past tournaments helps him organize the team's work. At a press conference in Mexico City, he noted that the atmosphere within the squad reminds him of the best moments from previous years, when belief in success and fan support were key factors.
This time, preparation for the tournament lasted 36 days, made possible by the support of the federation’s management. However, there were challenges: due to injuries, the team lost goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón, midfielder Marcel Ruiz, and defender Rodrigo Huescas. All three received personal words of encouragement from the coach, who urged them not to lose motivation and to look ahead.
Despite the forced changes, Aguirre expressed confidence in each of the 26 players registered for the tournament. He did not reveal the starting lineup for the match against South Africa, emphasizing that any player is ready to take the field and accomplish the task. Particular attention is being paid to ensuring the team does not succumb to excessive nerves, as the favorite status and home stands can be both an advantage and a source of extra pressure.
If Mexico performs successfully in the group stage, they will have the opportunity to play the round of 16 match at the 'Azteca' stadium, now officially named 'Ciudad de México'. This factor provides extra motivation for both the players and the coaching staff.
According to RUSSPAIN, in recent years national teams have increasingly faced the need to quickly adjust their squads due to injuries to key players. A similar situation arose for Brazil, where after the injury of one of the leaders, the coaching staff was forced to seek new solutions — read more about this in the coverage of Brazil's personnel issues on russpain.com.
By the start of the tournament, Mexico's lineup saw forward Santiago Giménez, midfielders Edson Álvarez and Luis Chávez, as well as attacking player César Huerta, in peak form. Within the team, according to the coach, an atmosphere has developed that the players themselves call 'family-like' — this, in the staff's view, should become one of the keys to success at the home World Cup.
For reference: the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City is one of the world’s most famous football venues. It hosted the World Cup finals in 1970 and 1986. In 2026, it will once again be the main arena for the tournament, and the Mexican national team is hoping to use the home-field advantage to achieve the best possible results.
