Mexico
Co-hosts who will have home advantage at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Mexico play the tournament's opening match against South Africa. A 51.0% win rate is modest but the home crowd factor could be transformative.
Recent Form (Last 10)
Overall (Last 3 Years)
Auto-qualified as host nation
Home vs Away
Home
Away
Top Scorer (Last 3 Years)
Strengths
Home advantage — playing in front of passionate Mexican fans at Azteca. Experienced squad with Raúl Jiménez leading the line. Strong home record (14W-12D-7L). CONCACAF pedigree.
Weaknesses
Auto-qualified with no WC qualifier matches to build form. 51% win rate is below average for the tournament. 12 losses in 51 matches. Historically exit in the Round of 16 ('quinto partido' curse).
Key Players
Raúl Jiménez (3 goals), Hirving Lozano, Edson Álvarez, Santiago Giménez
Our Prediction
Home advantage should see them through Group A. Breaking the Round of 16 curse would be the real achievement.