Due to the high-profile preparatory match for the 2026 tournament, part of Puebla Stadium was closed to spectators due to FIFA sanctions.
Published May 23, 2026
Mexico defeated Ghana 2-0 in a World Cup pre-game in Puebla, giving a glimpse of the excitement building with less than three weeks until the start of the tournament.
Puebla is not one of Mexico’s World Cup host cities, but green-shirted fans created an exciting atmosphere throughout the night at Cuauhtemoc Stadium on Friday.
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At previous national team matches, Mexican waves repeatedly surged around the perimeter of the stadium, despite visible open sections being closed off due to FIFA sanctions related to discriminatory chants.
Brian Gutierrez quickly set the tone, curling in from the edge of the box two minutes later to score.
Teenage Liga MX sensation Gil Mora hit the post in the first half and Alexis Vega’s header was ruled offside before the break.
“He’s a different player, we’ve always said that,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said of Mora, who has played for Mexico since November after returning from injury.
“He’s brave, he’s outspoken, he’s vertical… He’s Mexican and he came back pain-free, which gives us great joy.”
Ghana, without recently appointed coach Carlos Queiroz and led by his assistant from the bench, came close to equalizing early in the second half after the Mexican goalkeeper forced two saves and hit the crossbar.
However, substitute Guillermo Martínez struck back in the 54th minute to double Mexico’s lead and dash the visitors’ hopes.
Aguirre is using the friendlies to continue evaluating his players ahead of announcing Mexico’s final World Cup squad on June 1, with European-based players Luis Chavez, Edson Álvarez and Jorge Sanchez featuring in the second half after recently attending a training camp.
The coach praised the efforts of the players vying for a place in the final team, saying: “The fact that they put in all their effort is already worth it to me.”
“(Selecting a team) is not easy. That’s the most complicated part of my job…It’s a little difficult to go through all the possible scenarios with the coaching staff.”
