Mexican players face World Cup squad exclusion if they skip training camp in 2026

The Mexican Football Federation has warned Liga MX players they will be dropped from the World Cup squad if they miss a mandatory training camp.

Federation issues strict ultimatum The Mexican Football Federation has informed Liga MX players that they will be excluded from the national team's World Cup squad if they do not attend a mandatory training camp starting on 6 May 2026. The camp is scheduled outside FIFA's designated international window, overlapping with Liga MX play-offs and Concacaf Champions Cup matches. A deadline of 8pm local time (03:00 BST on 7 May) has been set for players to report to the High-Performance Centre in Mexico City. Coach Javier Aguirre's coaching staff has emphasized that any player not present will be left out of the tournament. ## Confirmed players and squad announcement The federation previously revealed 20 Liga MX players selected by Aguirre for the camp, with 12 of them already secured spots in the final World Cup squad. Mexico, who are co-hosts of the 2026 tournament alongside the US and Canada, will announce their final squad on 1 June. The team has scheduled warm-up matches against Ghana on 22 May, Australia on 31 May, and Serbia on 4 June before opening the tournament against South Africa at Estadio Azteca on 11 June. ## Club conflicts and player releases Liga MX club Toluca requested the federation to release forward Alexis Vega and left-back Jesus Gallardo for their Concacaf Champions Cup semi-final second leg against Major League Soccer's Los Angeles FC on 6 May. This request angered rivals Chivas de Guadalajara, who had already released five players for national team duties. In response, Chivas president Amaury Vergara recalled goalkeeper Raul Rangel, midfielder Luis Romo, United States-born midfielder Brian Gutierrez, winger Roberto Alvarado, and forward Armando Gonzalez back to their club facilities. ## Breach of agreement and club response Toluca's attempt to prioritize their Champions Cup tie, where they trail 2-1 on aggregate after the first leg, was seen as violating the agreement made with Liga MX clubs. Vergara stated on X, 'Agreements are valid only when all parties respect them. I instructed the Sports Directorate that our players report tomorrow at the club's facilities.' Chivas suffered a 3-1 loss to Tigres in the first leg of their Liga MX play-off quarter-final the previous weekend.