Mexico has announced the 25 player list for the October FIFA friendlies against Colombia and Ecuador. With a number of players missing thru injuries, it was a different list in a couple of areas with a number of returns. Mexico will play against Colombia on October 11th in Dallas Stadium and then travel to Mexico to face off against Ecuador on October 14th against Estadio Akron in Guadalajara.
The call up list made by Coach Javier Aguirre was the following:
Goalkeepers: Luis Malagon (America), Carlos
Acevedo (Santos), Raul Rangel (Chivas)
Defenders: Johan Vasquez (Genoa), Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow), Mateo Chavez (AZ Alkmaar), Israel Reyes (America), Jorge Sanchez (Cruz Azul), Ramon Juarez (America), Jesus Gallardo (Toluca), Kevin Alvarez (America)
Midfielders: Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Marcel Ruiz (Toluca), Erick Sanchez (America), Erik Lira (Cruz Azul), Alexis Gutierrez (America), Luis Romo (Chivas), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Diego Lainez (Tigres)
Forwards: Santiago Gimenez (AC Milan), Julian Quiñones (Al Qadsiyiah), Cesar Huerta (Anderlecht), Alexis Vega (Toluca), Hirving Lozano (San Diego FC), German Berterame (Monterrey)
The most notable missing players are Raul Jimenez and Edson Alvarez, who both will stay with their clubs. Jimenez scored for his club Fulham last week but came out of that match with an injury. Edson Alvarez was injured in Mexico’s match against Japan and had only returned to play with his club, Fenerbahce recently. It’s perfectly understandable they would miss the October FIFA friendlies. Rodrigo Huescas’ not being in as logical as can be after his devastating injury that will probably have him miss the World Cup. Among Liga MX teams, many Chivas fans expected Diego Campillo and Armando Gonzalez to get call up but it seems they haven’t broken thru yet.
Among the notable returns, Alexis Gutierrez and Ramon Juarez might be the most notable. No call up was as controversial as Gutierrez, who hadn’t been called up for the National team in 2025 and hadn’t really stood out with America unlike Juarez, who had been showing his level and it was surprising why he wasn’t getting starts with America. Luis Romo is also a surprising call although he had improved his level of play after he failed to make the Gold Cup squad for his lackluster Clausura 2025. Another notable call up was Carlos Acevedo getting his first call up under Aguirre. Acevedo had been one of the most promising goalkeepers and his failure to get called up to the 2022 World Cup was very controversial under Guillermo Martino. Unfortunately for him, he dropped his level of play and was rightfully not called but his improvement under a terrible Santos team and the fact that Mexican goalkeepers continue to struggle, to the point that Acevedo is being asked to return to the National team.
Mexico will face off against Colombia on October 11th in Dallas in a very tough matchup before having the return to Mexican territory to play for the first time in 2025 when they face off against Ecuador in Guadalajara on October 14th in another tough match.
