Mexico vs Australia
Two nations lock horns in an international friendly this weekend knowing the summer that awaits them could provide them with the biggest story of their lives.
The Rose Bowl in Pasadena hosts Mexico and Australia and, while international friendly 2026 highlights may be forthcoming, both camps will know it’s what quickly follows which will matter most.
That’s because the World Cup co-hosts and the Socceroos are gearing up for the biggest spectacle in world football.
Talking Points
After only qualifying once before 2006, Australia have become regulars at the party over the past two decades and this will be their sixth successive tournament.
Whether they are capable of surpassing their best ever run (the last 16 in both 2006 and in Qatar four years ago) remains to be seen but the Aussies are certainly giving it their all.
A preliminary Florida training camp, coupled with two high-profile friendlies, this being the first, all precede a dedicated tournament base camp in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The draw for Group D has given them a chance with Turkey, co-hosts the United States and Paraguay awaiting Tony Popovic’s men.
They’ve not had good news on the injury front in recent days with striker Nick D’Agostino joining defender Hayden Matthews in withdrawing from the pre-camp.
D’Agostino, who was at Brisbane Roar hoping to make a late run for selection, suffered a leg injury during preparation in Sarasota, Florida, while star midfielder Riley McGree, who was due to link up with the squad this week, has been ruled out after he went off with a suspected hamstring injury during Middlesbrough’s EFL Championship play-off defeat to Hull last weekend, three weeks away from their opener against Turkey in Vancouver.
The Socceroos lost their final three matches of 2025 but have won their last two encounters, scoring six goals along the way, and will want to maintain that momentum.
Mexico, who will meet South Africa. South Korea and the Czech Republic in Group A, have been regulars at the last 16 and reached that stage in seven successive World Cups until a group stage exit in 2022.
This time there is the added pressure of being a home nation and they will want to match their predecessors of 1970 and 1986, years they reached the quarter-finals as hosts.
There is no doubt the South Americans have produced some talented teams in previous years but the key question now is whether El Tri should put pragmatism above style.
Experienced manager Javier Aguirre, who was in charge during both the 2002 and 2010 World Cups, knows the home atmosphere could be either an inspiration or a burden (or both!).
On the upside, co-hosting the tournament alongside the US and Canada spared them a long qualifying campaign; on the flipside, it also removed the chance to build competitive rhythm.
Fulham striker Raul Jimenez will be the man they look to for inspiration.
The frontman will be hoping for a tournament to remember after some hardship – he suffered a fractured skull in 2020 and battled a number of physical issues that shaped his road to Qatar 2022.
Captain Edson Alvarez could feature on Sunday as he continues to return following an ankle issue, while Jimenez and Santiago Gimenez may not be risked due to illness and an ankle knock respectively.
With Jimenez among the goals, they have won back-to-back Gold Cups, seeing off the US last summer, two years after their triumph over Panama.
Aguirre has won four of his six games in charge this year and another victory in this one will lift spirits further as their big tournament opener draws closer.
History
Of their six meetings, all bar two have been friendlies.
They were Confederations Cup ties in 1997 and 2001 and Australia won both – the 2001 group stage success arriving courtesy of Shaun Murphy and Josip Skoko goals.
They remain their only successes with three draws and one Mexico victory which arrived in their inaugural clash in a 1970 friendly.
Their most recent encounter was a 2-2 draw in a friendly in September 2023 when Harry Souttar and a Martin Boyle penalty put the Aussies in the ascendancy before Jimenez netted a penalty of his own and Cesar Huerta levelled seven minutes from time in Texas.
Betting Tip
Australia have lost their last three games played on American soil and have not won a match in the US this century. The SBOTOP international friendly 2026 betting odds are not available at the time of writing but take a look and back the Mexicans to edge this one.
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