Mexico will take some momentum into its home World Cup after smashing Serbia 5-1 on Thursday night in its final pre‑tournament warm-up match — and third straight tuneup win.
The victory in a sold‑out 30,000‑seat Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca, Mexico state, stretched Mexico’s unbeaten run to six wins and two draws in its last eight matches.
(Crisanta Espinosa Aguilar / Cuartoscuro.com)
Johan Vásquez, Raúl Jiménez and Luis Chávez scored for El Tri, the Mexican national team, with two Serbian own goals (defensive mistakes) rounding out the lopsided scoreline.
Though Mexico is No. 14 in the latest FIFA men’s world rankings — well ahead of Serbia at No. 41 — Mediotiempo deemed El Tri’s performance one of the team’s best in Javier “Vasco” Aguirre’s third stint as head coach.
“From the start, the team displayed an offensive style that pleased the fans and undoubtedly created a connection with them,” the digital sports news outlet wrote.
All three Mexican scorers are expected to form part of the team’s core in the upcoming World Cup: Vásquez as a first‑choice defender, Jiménez as a leading option at center forward and Chávez as a go-to creative force in midfield.
Aguirre praised the team’s form while warning against overconfidence, noting that many top Mexicans playing abroad have only recently started practicing with El Tri’s early selectees.
“We’re on the rise,” he said. “I think we’re in good shape, getting players back. We’re a solid group, a family, no matter who plays.”
The win over Serbia followed a 2-0 victory over 73rd-ranked Ghana on May 22 and a 1-0 win over No. 23 Australia on May 30, giving Mexico three straight wins by a combined 8-1 score ahead of its opener Thursday, June 11.
Mexico dominated the ball against Serbia, holding about 75% possession and putting five of its 10 shots on target.
The recent run has reinforced El Tri’s status as a favorite to advance from Group A.
Mexico will open group play against No. 60 South Africa on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, then face No. 25 South Korea on June 18 in Guadalajara and No. 39 Czechia on June 24 back at Azteca.
The 2026 World Cup features a record 48 teams spread over 12 groups of four teams each. The top two from each group will advance to the Round of 32, along with the eight best third-place teams across all 12 groups.
The nation of Mexico will host 13 games: five in Mexico City and four each in Guadalajara and Monterrey. There will also be 78 games in the United States and 13 in Canada.
With his goal Thursday, Jiménez, 35, continued his push toward Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s scoring record. It was his 46th for Mexico’s senior national team, which ties him with the previous record holder, Sinaloa native Jared Borgetti, and puts him six short of Javier “Chicharito” Hernández’s all‑time mark of 52.
With reports from Mediotiempo, AS México, Infobae, ESPN and USA Today
