When will Mexico announce its final roster for the World Cup?

As the bar showing how much time is left drops rapidly, the adjacent meter showing tension rises. The biggest tournament in the world is coming into view, making an already strange season even stranger, breaking the campaign in two and slamming itself down in front of all of us.

For many teams, putting the most coveted football competition has caused many a sleepless night, and none more so than for Mexico who, given the array of talent at their disposal, will be looking to make an impact on the pitch. The debate surrounding their final squad list of 26 players have swirled through the clouds for what seem like an eternity, with question marks over players such as Raúl Jiménez making headlines every 24 hours.

We have already seen Santiago Jiménez is to be left out of the squad, and Sevilla player Jesús Corona will be a huge miss for El Tri, who have relied on his talent at both ends of the pitch for years. Added to these absences was the failed attempt to lure MLS superstar Carlos Vela out of retirement and back into to fold. It seems then, the squad is writing itself.

How are the squad preparing for the World Cup?

The training camp in Girona in Spain’s north-east will be the home of the Mexican national team until they fly to Qatar on 17 November. The Hotel Camiral has hosted them for just over a week and the Girona FC training facilities are being shared by both sides.

The squad have two friendlies planned before the tournament: one against Iraq (9 November) and another versus Sweden (16 November).

When will Tata Martino announce his squad?

Manager Martino has until the official FIFA deadline of 16 November to announce his final 26-player squad from the current 31 players he has at his disposal. Despite the deadline, the manager will not wait that long, and instead announce his squad on 13 November. Wise choices will have to be made, as sharing a group with Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Poland will be no walk in the park and it, for many, the toughest group of the tournament. Mexico begin their World Cup campaign against Poland on 22 November.

Mexico’s World Cup fixtures