Mexico boss expects his side to face Portugal despite wave of violence | OneFootball

The coach of the Mexican national team, Javier Aguirre, expressed confidence this Tuesday (24th) in holding the preparatory friendly match for the 2026 World Cup against Portugal, scheduled for March, despite the wave of violence in Mexico, which led the Portuguese Football Federation to consider canceling the match.

“I fully foresee”

“I fully foresee this game next month, against European teams, during the FIFA Date. Everything is as planned,” said ‘El Vasco’ Aguirre during a press conference.

Hours earlier, the Portuguese Football Federation had issued a statement questioning their team's participation in the friendly, which will mark the reopening of the Azteca Stadium, due to the “delicate situation currently experienced in Mexico.”

“They have the right to assess their circumstances,” admitted Aguirre, but he emphasized: “I am calm. We have to wait for developments, but I hope the match will occur without any setbacks.”

“Sensitive”

The coach briefly commented on the violent events on Sunday in Mexico, following the death of the drug trafficker Nemesio Oseguera, known as ‘El Mencho,’ in a Mexican Army operation.

“We are Mexicans, citizens, and we are sensitive to the current situation,” said Aguirre.

The Mexican coach also spoke about the friendly that ‘El Tri’ will play this Wednesday against Iceland, and about the final stage of the preparation process for the World Cup.

“We will play the match in the best way possible. We will continue the championship and continue preparing for the FIFA Date in March. That is my responsibility,” he emphasized.

Guaranteed security?

After the press conference, ‘El Vasco’ led the Mexican team in a field inspection at the Estadio La Corregidora, the venue for the match against Iceland.

“The federation's officials assure me of our safety. The group is calm, and we are training daily. We will familiarize ourselves with the field and see if we can have a good match tomorrow,” he concluded.

The Estadio La Corregidora is located in the city of Querétaro (central region of Mexico), about 350 kilometers by road from Guadalajara, the capital of the state of Jalisco, the epicenter of the violent reactions following the death of ‘El Mencho,’ head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel.

*Content produced by AFP

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.