Javier Aguirre’s Early Mexico Camp Echoes 1986 Tactics For Home World Cup

When Javier Aguirre was a player, helium believed Mexico's grueling, year-long grooming campy up of the 1986 World Cup was the cardinal to El Tri's tally to the quarterfinals — matching its champion result.

As manager of the nationalist team, helium is trying to replicate that vintage formula.

Unlike astir competing nations, which indispensable hold for home leagues to reason earlier gathering their squads, Mexico began assembling its players much than a period earlier its opening World Cup lucifer connected June 11 against South Africa — pulling them distant from their teams portion the Liga MX was ongoing.

"This is simply a project, not a whim — it’s a task to effort and marque this a large World Cup," Aguirre says. "We concluded that being astatine location and having these magnificent facilities we needed to beryllium good prepared successful each way. This meant having them acceptable 5 weeks earlier the World Cup."

The 67-year-old manager, steering Mexico into the World Cup for a 3rd time, was an integral portion of the 1986 squad that bushed Belgium and Bulgaria and mislaid to eventual finalist West Germany successful a punishment shootout successful the quarterfinals. 

The lone different clip El Tri reached that signifier was successful 1970, besides connected location soil.

"Being portion of the nationalist squad and being capable to play successful a World Cup astatine location is priceless," Aguirre says of the 48-team tourney that Mexico is co-hosting with the U.S. and Canada.

A Modern Dilemma

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - MAY 20: Players of Mexico perceive to their Head Coach Javier Aguirre (C) during a grooming league astatine CAR connected May 20, 2026 successful Mexico City, Mexico.  (Photo by Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)

Modern shot presents challenges that didn’t beryllium successful 1986. While that Mexico squad featured lone 1 Europe-based prima — Real Madrid icon Hugo Sánchez — the existent excavation boasts 14 players competing successful Europe.

To unafraid his home players early, Aguirre had to person the owners of the 18 Liga MX first-division teams that an extended campy was the lone mode to genuinely basal retired astatine home. His blueprint was approved past December, and the gates to the grooming crushed opened connected May 6 with an archetypal radical of 12 home players.

Yet, the strategy has drawn disapproval from salient figures wrong Mexican football, astir notably erstwhile nationalist squad manager Ricardo La Volpe, who led El Tri to the circular of 16 astatine the 2006 World Cup successful Germany.

"I’m genuinely surprised, and I person a batch of respect for Javier Aguirre, but I don’t recognize him for 1 elemental reason: First, helium doesn’t person astir of the players, making the practices meaningless," La Volpe argued. "I would accidental that if you can’t enactment with everyone you should fto the players usage the home playoffs to support their lucifer rhythm."

Gathering The Pieces

Mexico's midfielder Erik Lira (C) and defender Johan Vasquez (R) instrumentality portion successful a grooming league with caput manager Javier Aguirre up of their affable lucifer against the Portuguese nationalist squad successful Mexico City connected March 26, 2026. Mexico volition play a affable lucifer against Portugal connected March 28 astatine the Banorte Stadium (formerly known arsenic Azteca Stadium) successful Mexico City. (Photo by Luis CORTES / AFP via Getty Images)

Because of the staggered arrivals, Aguirre initially had to bring successful younker academy players arsenic sparring partners to capable retired his grooming sessions. Behind the scenes, however, the manager utilized his heavy web and nationalist relations savvy to transportation immoderate European clubs to merchandise their Mexican players up of schedule.

The politicking paid off. By aboriginal past week, Aguirre had 18 of his last 26 players disposable for a warmup lucifer against Ghana, which Mexico won 2-0.

Mexico’s intensive mentation continues with friendlies against Australia connected Saturday successful Pasadena, California, followed by a last trial against Serbia successful Toluca connected June 4 — conscionable 1 week earlier the spotlight turns to the high-stakes World Cup opener against South Africa astatine Azteca Stadium. Mexico besides faces South Korea and the Czech Republic successful Group A.

At the 2022 World Cup successful Qatar, Mexico failed to beforehand from its group.

World-Class Foundations

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - MAY 20: Roberto Alvarado and Alexis Vega of Mexico laughter during a grooming league astatine CAR connected May 20, 2026 successful Mexico City, Mexico.  (Photo by Agustin Cuevas/Getty Images)

To guarantee optimal preparation, the Mexican Football Federation invested 400 cardinal pesos ($23 million) into a monolithic renovation of its elite grooming center, the Centro de Alto Rendimiento connected Mexico City's outskirts.

"This concern reflects our work toward the World Cup," federation president Mikel Arriola says. "We person built a installation that volition supply the nationalist squad with the champion imaginable conditions for preparation, connected par with the world’s starring shot powers. Hosting a World Cup demands that we rise each our standards, some connected and disconnected the field."

Accommodations for the elder squad expanded from 20 to 45 backstage rooms, supplemented by caller subordinate amusement lounges. 

However, the crown jewel of the renovation is simply a state-of-the-art installation lodging a monolithic gym, which ballooned from 1,200 to 6,000 quadrate meters. The caller analyzable besides integrates a modernized aesculapian wing, precocious physiotherapy and hydrotherapy labs, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, and a dedicated sports quality hub.

Building A Brotherhood

Mexico's defender Israel Reyes controls the shot during a grooming league successful Mexico City connected May 15, 2026. (Photo by CARL DE SOUZA / AFP via Getty Images)

While critics question the tactical contented of the extended camp, the players themselves person championed the aboriginal lockdown. Beyond the tactical drills, the squad views the isolation arsenic a crucible for gathering chemistry that transcends the pitch.

"You person to beryllium present to genuinely recognize it," defender Israel Reyes says. "People mightiness accidental it’s a agelong clip to beryllium distant but it’s helping america genuinely get to cognize 1 another."

For Reyes and his teammates, the agelong hours spent astatine the upgraded grooming halfway are forging a corporate individuality that could beryllium decisive nether the aggravated unit of a location tournament.

"That camaraderie successful the locker country is captious due to the fact that we’re starting to consciousness similar a brotherhood," Reyes adds. "On the field, it changes everything. You’re nary longer conscionable defending a teammate — you’re defending your brother."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

2026 FIFA World Cup: How To Watch

The 2026 FIFA World Cup volition tally from June 11–July 19, 2026. Spread crossed 3 countries, the tourney volition culminate with the last connected July 19 astatine New York New Jersey Stadium successful East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tourney matches volition aerial unrecorded crossed FOX (70) and FS1 (34) with each lucifer streaming unrecorded and on-demand wrong some the FOX One and the FOX Sports app. A grounds 40 matches, much than one-third of the tournament, volition aerial successful premier clip crossed FOX (21) and FS1 (19).

The opening lucifer connected June 11 betwixt Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) volition watercourse for escaped connected Tubi, arsenic good arsenic the USA's opening lucifer against Paraguay connected June 12 (9 p.m. ET).