Mexico will play two games this month like most other national teams, but as the 2026 World Cup co-host demonstrate, not all international breaks are equal.
El Tri will welcome La Liga side Valencia to Puebla on Saturday for the first friendly of the international window, marking a rare matchup between a national team and a club team. Mexico's schedule reverts back to normal when they host a Mauricio Pochettino-led U.S. men's national team in Guadalajara, but it's hard to ignore the quirkiness of their first game. The friendly is mutually beneficial for a handful of reasons, but the unusual fixture also highlights the scheduling conundrums that face not just Mexico, but fellow 2026 World Cup co-hosts Canada and the U.S. as most of their potential rivals are booked and busy.
Here's what you need to know about the atypical friendly.
How to watch
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 12 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio Cuauhtemoc -- Puebla, Mexico
- Live stream: Fubo (Try for free)
Why are they playing each other?
For Mexico, the answer is a simple one – they had a spot on the schedule to fill and needed to fill it. Scheduling as many games as possible is vital for Mexico ahead of the 2026 World Cup, since this friendly against Valencia will mark Javier Aguirre's return to coaching the national team. He has been tasked with reversing course after El Tri's group stage exit at the Copa America over the summer, and will no doubt benefit from having friendlies to tinker with the team before the World Cup.
Valencia, meanwhile, will use the friendly as an unconventional opportunity to stay fit during the international break after a poor start to the season. The club also said in a statement that they hope to use the friendly as an opportunity to engage with fans on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, identifying Mexico as a market of focus as they try to build their brand.
Why are the 2026 World Cup hosts dealing with scheduling conflicts?
While most of the world's national teams will spend the next year-plus in World Cup qualifiers and Nations League matches, the 2026 World Cup co-hosts' calendars are empty because their spots are secured. While the U.S., Mexico and Canada will play select Nations League games in the buildup to the 2026 tournament, they have open spots for friendlies that are hard to fill.
By the time the international break wraps up, the co-hosts will have played each other in friendlies in September and October and are already sharing opponents. Both the U.S. and Mexico played New Zealand last month, while the U.S. and Canada will play Panama this month. Canada's friendly against Panama on Oct. 15 will be their only game of the window.
What is the remaining schedule for the 2026 World Cup hosts?
- Oct. 12, 2024: USMNT vs. Panama
- Oct. 12, 2024: Mexico vs. Valencia
- Oct. 15, 2024: Mexico vs. USMNT
- Oct. 15, 2024: Canada vs. Panama
- Nov. 1 -19, 2024: Concacaf Nations League quarterfinals
- March 20, 2025: Concacaf Nations League semifinal*
- March 23, 2025: Concacaf Nations League final or third-place match*
- June 2-10, 2025: international window
- June 14-July 6, 2025: Concacaf Gold Cup
- Sept. 1-9, 2025: international window
- Oct. 6-14, 2025: international window
- Nov. 10-18, 2025: international window
- March 21-31, 2026: international window
- June 1-9, 2026: international window
- June 11, 2026: World Cup kicks off
*These matches will only be played if the USMNT wins their Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal matchup and will most likely be replaced by friendlies if they fail to advance.