Javier Aguirre is reviving a strategy from Mexico's most successful World Cup campaign. As a player in 1986, the grueling year-long camp helped El Tri reach the quarterfinals. Now as head coach for the 2026 tournament, Aguirre is bringing his squad together more than a month before their opener, pulling players from ongoing Liga MX competition.
Modern challenges are different: 14 players are now based in Europe, compared to just one in 1986. Aguirre convinced Liga MX owners to release domestic players early, gaining approval in December. The camp opened May 6 with 12 domestic players. Despite criticism from former Mexico manager Ricardo La Volpe, who questioned holding practices without the full squad, Aguirre's network has secured early releases from European clubs. By last week, he had 18 of his final 26 players for a 2-0 warmup win over Ghana.
The Mexican Football Federation invested $23 million to renovate the Centro de Alto Rendimiento, expanding accommodations from 20 to 45 rooms and building a state-of-the-art gym. Aguirre says the project aims to make this a great World Cup for Mexico, which opens against South Africa on June 11 at Azteca Stadium.