Mexico beat Ghana as World Cup cohosts excel despite FIFA sanctions | World Cup 2026 News
Mexico Defeats Ghana 2-0 in World Cup Warm-Up Match
PUEBLA, Mexico (AP) — Mexico secured a 2-0 victory over Ghana on Friday night in a World Cup warm-up match at Estadio Cuauhtemoc, less than three weeks before the start of the tournament.
Although Puebla is not one of the host cities for the World Cup, fans donned green shirts, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere throughout the match. However, certain sections of the stadium remained closed to spectators due to FIFA sanctions related to discriminatory chants during previous national team matches.
The game kicked off with forward Brian Gutierrez setting an aggressive tone, scoring from the edge of the box just two minutes in.
Teenage standout Gil Mora nearly added to Mexico’s lead before halftime, striking the post, while Alexis Vega had a header disallowed for offside.
Mora, who made his return to the national team after an injury layoff, drew praise from Mexico coach Javier Aguirre. “He’s a different player, we’ve always said that,” Aguirre remarked. “He’s brave, direct, vertical … he gives us great joy because he’s Mexican and because he’s back without pain.”
Ghana, under the direction of assistant coaches as head coach Carlos Queiroz was absent, threatened early in the second half. The team forced several saves from the Mexican goalkeeper and hit the crossbar in an attempt to equalize.
However, Mexico sealed their victory in the 54th minute when substitute Guillermo Martinez capitalized on a counterattack, doubling the lead.
Coach Aguirre used the friendly match to further evaluate players in preparation for the final World Cup squad announcement scheduled for June 1. Players based in Europe, including Luis Chavez, Edson Alvarez, and Jorge Sanchez, made appearances in the second half after joining the training camp recently.
Aguirre recognized the effort put forth by the players vying for selection, stating, “The fact they tried and gave their best effort, for me, that’s already worthwhile.” He emphasized the complexity of the selection process, noting that it involves considering various scenarios with his coaching staff.
