Drama is brewing with the Mexican national soccer team, just over a month away from the start of the World Cup, after the national football federation issued an ultimatum to Liga MX players — report for a pre-planned World Cup camp this week or don’t expect to be playing this summer.
The stern message from the Mexico Football Federation on Wednesday comes after it announced late last month that 20 Liga MX — the top division of professional soccer in the country — players would take part in a pre-World Cup mini-camp in Mexico City that was to begin on Wednesday.
However, officials from Toluca asked the FMF to grant a release of Alexis Vega and Jesus Gallardo in order for them to play in the club’s Champions Cup semifinal match against MLS side LAFC.
Chivas de Guadalajara president Amaury Vergara then wrote on X late Tuesday that he was going to have his players expected to take part in the camp “report to the club’s facilities tomorrow.”
All of it led the FMF to make the ultimatum in a statement on Wednesday that said, “any player who does not turn up at the [national team’s] training center will miss the World Cup.”
Mexico manager Javier Aguirre doubled down on it when he spoke to reporters later on Wednesday, though he did not answer any questions.
“As you all were able to deduce, our press release was clear: if a player does not report to camp, he’ll be out of the World Cup. We cannot be flexible in that regard,” he said, per The Athletic. “I want to thank the clubs and the owners who supported this plan, one we presented a long time ago, and that was approved. This is a pact. A project that has not been broken. I want to thank Toluca and Chivas, notably Chivas that is impacted by the number of players (called up). And Toluca a club that is competing in an international tournament. They’re helping us. They’re helping the national team.
“The pact has not been broken. The [Liga MX] playoffs will be played without national team players. For now, we’re all aligned with the conditions that we agreed to.”
The mini-camp the Mexicans are holding is outside the designated FIFA international window and taking place while Liga MX is in the middle of the playoffs.
Chivas has five players taking part in the camp, including Brian Gutiérrez, versatile Luis Romo, Roberto Alvarado, Armando González and Raúl Rangel, who is the presumed starting keeper for the Mexican World Cup squad.
“I want [to] point out that this is not the first time that the playoffs have taken place without national team players. It has happened many times. I was a coach once when it occurred,” he said.
