Mexico vs. Ghana—International Friendly: Preview, Predictions and Lineups

El Tri’s final World Cup preparations start with an international friendly exactly 20 days before the tournament debut.

Mexico defeated Ghana in the most recent meeting in 2023. | Mexico national team on X, Visionhaus/Getty Images

The Mexico national team begins its final push towards the 2026 World Cup on Friday night with a friendly bout against Ghana on home soil in the city of Puebla.

El Tri’s World Cup camp started on May 6 with 20 Liga MX players that Javier Aguirre called up to start camp. It was a turbulent start to Mexico’s final preparations, given the Liga MX playoffs were just about to start, but Aguirre has been training with this group for two weeks now.

Other players from overseas leagues have slowly started joining Mexico’s camp, including captain Edson Álvarez and World Cup legend Guillermo Ochoa.

Ghana meanwhile is also starting its final World Cup preparations, but with the bulk of its top talents still yet to conclude their club seasons, the squad traveling for a friendly against Mexico is mostly made up of local league talents and U-23 players.

Mexico will play another friendly against Australia before Aguirre unveils his final World Cup roster, so this is one of the final two opportunities for fringe players to earn one of the 26 spots available. For Aguirre, this is the first of four pre-tournament friendlies he must take advantage of to have El Tri ready for its World Cup debut against South Africa on June 11.

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Mexico vs. Ghana Score Prediction

El Tri’s Starts World Cup Push on Right Foot

Armando González (left) will look to bag his second goal for El Tri. | Rodrigo Oropeza/Getty Images

Mexico has everything working to its advantage on Friday night. The squad has been training together for longer, playing at home in the altitude of Puebla and boasts superior talent than a Ghana team without its top stars.

Impressive draws against Portugal and particularly against Belgium lifted the mood and confidence in El Tri, and with a number of those players expected to participate in Friday’s friendly against a considerably weaker opponent, Mexico should start its World Cup camp with a win.

• Recent Form: Mexico is unbeaten through five games played in 2026, and Ghana has lost five in a row ever since clinching its World Cup qualification.
• Managerial Debut: Former Portugal manager Carlos Queiroz will be making his first appearance in Ghana’s dugout, having taken over following the firing of Otto Addo in March. Making his debut with a makeshift side in a hostile environment doesn’t bode well for the experienced tactician.
• Mexico’s Record at Home: Mexico hasn’t lost a game of any kind on home soil in almost eight years, with its last defeat coming in 2018 against Chile. Mexico’s last defeat in the city of Puebla came in 1980.

Prediction: Mexico 2–0 Ghana

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Mexico Predicted Lineup vs. Ghana

Javier Aguirre won’t tweak his preferred 4-3-3 formation. | FotMo

With Johan Vásquez yet to report to camp, Aguirre will turn to Israel Reyes to play alongside César Montes in the heart of defense. Reyes has mostly played at right back under Aguirre but is a natural center back for his club, and this allows Jorge Sánchez to also get his chance to impress on the right flank.

Skipper Edson Álvarez has played just two minutes of competitive soccer ever since he had ankle surgery in February. Aguirre will want to give him as much playing time as possible so that he builds some rhythm and gets back to playing shape before the tournament.

Mexican-American Brian Rodríguez impressed during the March friendlies and is expected to get the nod, as will Mexico wunderkind Gilberto Mora, who left behind a nagging groin injury and is back with El Tri for the first time in 2026.

Chivas striker Armando González will lead the line, hoping a strong performance guarantees his spot on the roster, given striker is one of the most congested positions currently.

Mexico predicted lineup vs. Ghana (4-3-3): Rangel; Sánchez, Reyes, Montes, Gallardo; Gutiérrez, Álvarez, Mora; Alvarado, González, Vega

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Ghana Predicted Lineup vs. Mexico

Ghana’s team is full of U-23 talents. | FotMob

Without key players such as Antoine Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus and Thomas Partey, Queiroz has his work cut out to try and field a lineup capable of competing against a Mexico team that’s not too far from full strength.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare is the only player in Ghana’s squad that was also included on the team that lost against Austria and Germany back in March. Defender Oscar Oppong, who plays for Granada in La Liga2, should get the nod. Razak Simpson will be the defensive leader on Friday night.

Striker Jerry Afriye will lead the line, flanked by Ghana’s Olympic team standout Felix Afena-Gyan on the left wing. Stoke City winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi has switched international allegiances from England to Ghana and could make his debut for the Black Stars.

Ghana primarily played a 5-4-1 under Addo, but Queiroz could make a switch to his preferred 4-1-4-1 formation upon arrival.

Ghana predicted lineup vs. Mexico (4-1-4-1): Asare; Oppong, Simpson, Dacosta, Yegbe; Agyei; Rak-Sakyi, Ashimeru, Adams, Afena-Gyan; Afriye

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What Time Does Mexico vs. Ghana Kick Off?

• Location: Puebla, Mexico
• Stadium: Estadio Cuauhtémoc
• Date: Friday, May 22
• Kick-off Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT

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How to Watch Mexico vs. Ghana on TV, Live Stream

Country	TV Channel/Live Stream
United States	TUDN USA, Univision, FOX Deportes, FOX One, FOX Sports App, ViX
Mexico	Canal 5, Azteca 7, TUDN, ViX, Azteca Deportes

• MORE: Full list of broadcasters around the world for Mexico vs. Ghana

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