International Friendly: Mexico’s Serbian Warm-Up Will Be a Breeze

Mexico vs Serbia

World Cup 2026 hosts Mexico will have a final international friendly this week when non-qualifiers Serbia will be the opposition in Toluca on Friday. 

While the likes of Argentina and England have their eyes on the main prize, Mexican aspirations may be more modest in comparison. But managed by Javier Aguirre, El Tri have home advantage, and their fans will be dreaming of glory in July. Mexico will kick off the World Cup 2026 next Thursday against South Africa, and they will start the tournament as dark horses, so they will aim to put down a marker against a nation they expect to beat.

And that applies even more so when Serbia come to town. The Eagles are managed by Veljko Paunovic, and he brings a very inexperienced group to Mexico. Serbia missed out on qualification after losing 2-0 to England last November, and Paunovic has left most of his big names back in Europe, which isn’t all that helpful to Aguirre, as he tries to get his players 100-per cent ready for the big kick-off just six days later.     

 

Talking Points

Aguirre is back for more

After playing South Africa on Thursday 11^th June, El Tri will face off against the Korea Republic and the Czech Republic in Group A. And while none of these nations are pushovers, the World Cup 2026 betting odds say the joint hosts will make it through the first stage, and that is the very least Aguirre, who is managing Mexico for the third time, expects.

He took control of El Tri back in 2002 before embarking on a club management career that took in Osasuna and Atletico Madrid. Aguirre’s second stint as Mexico boss came in 2010 before he set off to La Liga again to manage Espanyol, Leganes, and Real Mallorca. Now back for his third go, Aguirre has already delivered a first ever Nations League title for Mexico, as El Tri beat Panama 2-1 in 2025. And since then, he has built a strong side with a core of experienced warriors who have been unbeaten in the calendar year and are devilishly difficult to score against.  

40-year-old goalkeeper Guillermo Ochea has 152 caps to his name, though 26-year-old Raul Rangel may be preferred between the sticks behind captain Edson Alvarez, who can play as a defensive midfielder or centre-back, and is approaching 100 caps.

With 97 in the bag, Alvarez has scored seven goals along the way as an uncompromising player with fierce tackle and superb distribution skills. Now playing in the Turkish league at Fenerbahçe, Alvarez is likely to take a centre-back role, and if he does, he will be partnered by Cesar Montes. Latterly of Lokomotiv Moscow, the 6’5” powerhouse has 65 caps and chipped in with four goals too as part of an impressively solid spine for the Mexicans.   

AEK Athens midfielder Orbelin Pineda has 12 goals in 91 caps, while Fulham’s veteran striker Raul Jimenez will hope to add to his 44 international goals in the coming weeks.  

 

Serbia’s second string will struggle in Mexico

While Mexico’s squad is full of top level experience, Paunovic has chosen to leave Serbia’s household names out of this tour. He previously managed the national teams at U18, U19, and U20s levels, so he is happy to work with youngsters, who he is prepared to give a chance to as the old guard failed to deliver in the qualifiers.

Maybe Mexico would prefer to play the likes of Nottingham Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic, 

Filip Kostic of Juventus, and Nemanja Gudelj of Sevilla. Alexsandar Mitrovic, who now plays his football in the Saudi Pro League, has 64 goals in 106 games, and he is sitting this one out. And there is no Dusan Vlahovic, as the Juventus star is in the midst of contract negotiations with the Old Lady, who missed out on Champions League football this season.   

A lot will rest on Milan centre-back Strahinja Pavlovic, who has scored five goals in 55 games and Getafe’s attacking midfielder Veljko Birmancevic, after he helped his club to European football this season with a seventh-place finish in La Liga. This game is a chance for an unknown to make his name, but I don’t think Mexico will be in the mood to oblige, and Serbia fans will be consigned to watching the World Cup 2026 highlights from afar.

 

History

This is Mexico’s 18^th finals, and they finished as quarter-finalists in 1970 and 1986. Serbia went out at the group stage on each of its three appearances at the World Cup in 2010, 2018, and 2022, and they will have to wait another four years for a chance to improve.   

Mexico have won five and drawn two matches in 2026, conceding just one goal in a 1-1 draw with Belgium, while Serbia have won one and lost two, beating Saudi Arabia but losing to Spain 3-0. And only last Sunday, the youngsters were slapped 3-0 by World Cup minnows Cape Verde.   

 

Betting Tip

Mexico is at SBOTOP odds of 1.28 to win this clash, with Serbia at 9.50, and the draw is priced at 4.75.

At 15^th in the FIFA World Rankings, El Tri is 24 places above Serbia in 39^th, but the gap between these two teams is bigger in reality, and I predict a very comfortable home win.    

   

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