Javier Aguirre’s first Mexico camp echoes 1986 World Cup tactics at home

When Javier Aguirre was a player, he believed Mexico’s grueling year-long training camp before the 1986 World Cup was the key to El Tri’s run to the quarterfinals, matching his best finish. As national team coach, he tries to replicate this vintage formula. Unlike most competing nations, which must wait until after the national championships before assembling their teams, Mexico began assembling its players more than a month before its June 11 World Cup opener against South Africa, keeping them away from their squads while Liga MX was underway. “It’s a project, not a whim. It’s a project to try to make this World Cup a great World Cup,” Aguirre said. “We concluded that being at home and having these magnificent facilities, we had to be well prepared in every way. This meant preparing them five weeks before the World Cup.” The 67-year-old coach, who led Mexico to the World Cup for the third time, was an integral part of the 1986 team that beat Belgium and Bulgaria and lost to runners-up West Germany on penalties in the quarter-finals. The only other time El Tri reached this stage was in 1970, also at home. “Being part of the national team and being able to play a World Cup at home is priceless,” Aguirre said of the 48-team tournament that Mexico is co-hosting with the United States and Canada. A modern dilemma Modern football presents challenges that did not exist in 1986. While the Mexican team had just one European star – Real Madrid icon Hugo Sánchez – the current pool has 14 players competing in Europe. To quickly secure his domestic players, Aguirre had to convince the owners of Liga MX’s 18 first division teams that an extended camp was the only way to truly stand out at home. His project was approved last December and the doors to the training ground opened on May 6 with a first group of 12 national players. Yet the strategy has drawn criticism from prominent figures in Mexican soccer, including former national team coach Ricardo La Volpe, who led El Tri to the round of 16 at the 2006 World Cup in Germany. “I’m really surprised and I have a lot of respect for Javier Aguirre, but I don’t understand him for a simple reason: firstly, he doesn’t have most of the players, which makes training useless,” La Volpe explained. “I would say if you can’t work with everyone, you should let the players take advantage of the national playoffs to maintain their game rhythm.” Putting the pieces together Due to staggered arrivals, Aguirre initially had to bring in youth academy players as training partners to supplement his training sessions. However, behind the scenes, the coach used his extensive network and public relations savvy to persuade some European clubs to release their Mexican players earlier than planned. Political politics paid off. Early last week, Aguirre had 18 of his final 26 players available for a warm-up match against Ghana, which Mexico won 2-0. Mexico’s intensive preparation continues with friendlies against Australia on Saturday in Pasadena, California, followed by a final test against Serbia in Toluca on June 4 – just a week before the spotlight turns to the high-stakes World Cup opener against South Africa at Azteca Stadium. Mexico also faces South Korea and the Czech Republic in Group A. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico failed to advance from its group. World-class foundations To ensure optimal preparation, the Mexican Football Federation invested 400 million pesos ($23 million) in a massive renovation of its elite training center, the Centro de Alto Rendimiento, on the outskirts of Mexico City. “This investment reflects our responsibility towards the World Cup,” said federation president Mikel Arriola. “We have built facilities that will provide the national team with the best possible preparation conditions, comparable to those of the world’s greatest footballing powers. Hosting a World Cup requires that we raise all our standards, on and off the pitch.” Accommodation for the senior team has increased from 20 to 45 private rooms, complemented by new player entertainment lounges. However, the crown jewel of the renovation is a state-of-the-art facility housing a massive gym, which has been expanded from 1,200 to 6,000 square meters. The new complex also incorporates a modernized medical wing, advanced physiotherapy and hydrotherapy laboratories, locker rooms, coaching offices and a dedicated sports intelligence center. Building a brotherhood While critics question the tactical wisdom of the extended camp, players themselves have defended the early lockdown. Beyond tactical drills, the team views isolation as a crucible for building chemistry that transcends the field. “You have to be here to really understand it,” defender Israel Reyes said. “People might say it’s a long time to be away, but it really helps us get to know each other better.” For Reyes and his teammates, the long hours spent in the modernized training center forge a collective identity that could prove decisive under the intense pressure of a home tournament. “This camaraderie in the locker room is vital because we start to feel like a brotherhood,” adds Reyes. “On the pitch, it changes everything. You’re no longer just 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 will take place from June 11 to July 19, 2026. Spread across three countries, the tournament will culminate with the final on July 19 at New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. All 104 tournament games will be broadcast live on FOX (70) and FS1 (34), with each game streamed live and on-demand in the FOX One and FOX Sports apps. A record 40 games, more than a third of the tournament, will be broadcast in prime time on FOX (21) and FS1 (19). The June 11 opening match between Mexico and South Africa (3 p.m. ET) will be streamed for free on Tubi, along with the United States’ opening match against Paraguay on June 12 (9 p.m. ET).