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Road to 2026 World Cup: Mexico’s Four Best Players of the Week—Ranked

A number of El Tri players wrapped-up the first month of 2026 in style.
Roberto Casillas|
Raúl Jiménez reached a special career landmark at the weekend.
Raúl Jiménez reached a special career landmark at the weekend. | Kevin Hodgson/MI News/NurPhotoGetty Images

With the Mexico national team’s 2026 World Cup debut less than 130 days away, a number of El Tri players had standout performances during the final week of January.

Liga MX action resumed after a week hiatus to make way for El Tri’s first two games of the year in its successful January camp. The Clausura 2026 Gameweek 4 took center stage this past week, and some players took it as an opportunity to continue their strong form.

But those competing overseas also had noteworthy showings, including core pieces of Javier Aguirre’s side as well as other talents that are obligated to impress in coming months to sneak into the final World Cup roster.

Although El Tri is starting to resemble a hospital with the amount of injuries it’s been ravaged by recently, other fringe players have used this as an opportunity to make a case to be considered in upcoming camps.

Here’s Sports Illustrated’s ranking of the four best Mexico national team performers over the past week.

4. Richard Ledezma

Richard Ledezma
Richard Ledezma scored his first career Liga MX goal. | Ricardo HernandezJam Media/Getty Images

The rise of Richard Ledezma continued this weekend, as he helped Chivas continue their perfect start to the Clausura 2026 with yet another dominant display as a right wing-back, scoring his first ever Liga MX goal in the process.

The 25-year-old Mexican-American has built a formidable partnership with Roberto Alvarado down Chivas’s right wing. He’s not the most technical of players, but he’s also not a clumsy technician, and his understanding of the game, of where to move to be an outlet or which space should be attacked is uncanny—evidenced by the action of his goal.

Ledezma is developing at lightening pace under manager Gabriel Milito, who’s fostered an environment at Chivas perfect for the former PSV Eindhoven talent to thrive. Ledezma looks more and more confident with every passing game and has been one of the standout performers of the Liga MX season so far.

What originally seemed impossible now seems incredibly realistic; Ledezma could very well be Mexico’s starting right back come the World Cup, especially with Jorge Sánchez barely playing to start the year. If Aguirre sticks to the 3-4-3 formation he trialed during the January camp, there’s no player at his disposal more capable than Ledezma to occupy the right wing-back role.

3. Julián Araujo

Julian Araújo.
Julián Araujo is enjoying life in Scotland. | Craig Williamson/SNS GroupGetty Images

Ledezma’s recent surge has been a major story that’s captured headlines in recent weeks, but in Europe, fellow right back Julián Araujo has had a positive start to his Celtic career, and had a man of the match performance in the 2–0 win over Falkirk on Sunday.

Like Ledezma, Araujo is a more attack-minded right back who’s often struggled defensively, which has led to a lack of playing time over the past year. But since joining Celtic, he’s been stout, helping the club secure three clean sheets in four starts.

On Sunday, he dominated against Falkirk. He wasn’t dribbled past even once, had six defensive interventions and five recoveries. Araujo misplaced just three of his 54 attempted passes and he created two chances, an all around effort from the Bournemouth loanee which saw him get included in the Sottish Premiership’s team of the week.

In just one month, Araujo is already earning massive praise from Celtic supporters, who are eager to make his loan permanent. If he continues like this, Aguirre will likely give him one final opportunity to impress during the March international break, where his World Cup fate could be decided.

2. Raúl Jiménez

Fulham fell to Manchester United in one of the best games of the weekend in the Premier League. Despite the losing effort, Mexico’s talisman, Raúl Jimenez reached another landmark in his brilliant career.

Jiménez scored Fulham’s first that kickstarted their momentary comeback. Yet, for him, it represented much more, as he reached the milestone of 200 career goals. Furthermore, his spot kick strike also saw him break a tie with Yaya Touré as the most clinical penalty taker in Premier League history.

El Tri’s starting striker is up to six Premier League goals this term. Although he was tightly marked and barely got a a chance to make an impact at Old Trafford, he appeared when needed most to create and then dispatch the penalty.

Jiménez reaching 200 career goals explains just how prolific he’s been throughout the years, especially considering he’s spent the last 12 in Europe. It’s a monumental achievement for one of Mexico’s greatest ever strikers and the man that carries the bulk of El Tri’s 2026 World Cup hopes.

1. Diego Lainez

Diego Lainez
Diego Lainez continues his career renaissance. | Luis Cano Jam Media/Getty Images

If the World Cup started tomorrow, then Diego Lainez should unquestionably be El Tri’s starting right winger. On Saturday night, he had a goal and an assist in Tigres’ 2–1 win over Club León.

He first played Marcelo Flores through on goal for Tigres‘ first and then unleashed a violent weak-foot rocket minutes later to secure the three points. In a team full of big-name stars such as Ángel Correa and Juan Brunetta, it’s Lainez who’s been stealing the show off late.

The once Club América wonderkid is finally living up to the expectations that were placed on him as a teenager. Many believed his career was over after a dreadful stint in Europe with Real Betis, but at 25 years old, Lainez has blossomed into a mature and devastating attacker.

With age, Lainez has left behind inconsistencies to become a mature playmaker that more often than not makes the right decision, without losing the innate dribbling ability that defined his early career. Lainez is one of the best feel-good comeback stories Mexican soccer has witnessed in recent years, and he looks poised to finish it off with a more than deserved maiden World Cup appearance in the summer.

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Roberto Casillas
ROBERTO CASILLAS

Roberto Casillas is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer covering Liga MX, the Mexican National Team & Latin American players in Europe. He is a die hard Cruz Azul and Chelsea fan.

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