Mexico Friendlies Confirmed Ahead of Gold Cup | OneFootball

Mexico will face Switzerland and Turkey before competing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup this summer.

Claro Sports revealed that FMF were reviewing their options, with the plan of facing European opposition before the summer tournament. They claimed that Wales and Sweden were also being considered as potential opponents.

Both sides will pose difficult challenges for Javier Aguirre's men, who will have the challenging task of naming a 26-man squad after taking a young group to South America for friendlies against Internacional and River Plate last month.

Switzerland often goes under the radar in European football due to the quality throughout the continent, but they consistently reach the knockout rounds of major tournaments. The Swiss have done so in four of the last five World Cups, reaching the quarterfinals in the last two European Championships. Murat Yakin's side presents an impressive resume of defenders with attacking options like Dan Ndoye and Breel Embolo to test Aguirre's squad before a crucial summer of action.

Turkey are still a long way from the side that claimed third place at the 2002 World Cup, but they showed their potential by reaching the Euros quarter-finals, knocking out an Austria team that had rapidly emerged as a dark horse in the round of 16. Aguirre’s side will need to be wary, as this is a young and exciting squad. The standout name is Arda Güler, the Real Madrid attacking midfielder, who, despite not yet being a regular for Los Blancos, is seen as the future of the Turkish national team. Alongside him, rising talents like Kenan Yıldız and Yunus Akgün add further flair, all under the guidance of the experienced Hakan Çalhanoğlu. The Inter Milan midfielder will be hoping to play a key role as Turkey push to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Austria v Turkiye: Round of 16 - UEFA EURO 2024 | Alex Grimm/GettyImages

Mexico's History at the Gold Cup

Mexico are the reigning champions of the Gold Cup, lifting the trophy in 2023 as Santiago Giménez's last-minute winner was enough to claim the title over Panama.

Since 2000, the tournament has been shared between Mexico and the United States with the two nations winning the award across the last 12 times, since Canada was named champions in 2000. The two nations are split, winning the title six times each in that period. In total, Mexico are the record holder, having won the trophy nine times since its inauguration in 1991.

Under Jaime Lozano, Mexico got to the final after topping a group that featured Honduras, Haiti and Qatar, despite losing to the latter. El Trí nailed the knockout rounds with victories over Costa Rica and a 3-0 result against the Reggae Boyz to meet Panama in California.