Mexico is the most-watched national team in North America, and by some distance. El Tri fill NFL stadiums for friendlies in Los Angeles, Houston and Chicago, sell more replica shirts in the United States than most European sides, and carry a fan culture that travels. If you are new to following them, this guide covers the jersey, the competition calendar, the players who define the modern era, and how to keep up with fixtures.
The widget above lists Mexico’s upcoming matches over the next two weeks. During international windows that means friendlies and competitive fixtures. Outside them, it fills with the domestic Liga MX calendar where most of the squad plays.
The green jersey and why it looks the way it does
The Mexico soccer team jersey is one of the most recognisable in the sport, and its identity is simple: green body, white and red accents, taken straight from the national flag. Green has been the home colour for almost the entire history of the side, and white has served as the standard change kit. Occasional black and red alternate shirts have appeared over the years, and they tend to sell well without ever displacing the green.
Adidas has held the kit contract since the early 1990s, one of the longest continuous manufacturer relationships in international football. That stability shows up in the design language. Mexican federation kits repeatedly return to a small set of motifs: Aztec and Mayan glyph patterns woven into the fabric, the calendar-stone sunburst, serpent and eagle references drawn from the national crest, and a chest badge that keeps the eagle-and-serpent shield as the centrepiece.
A few shirts have entered the collector canon. The 1994 goalkeeper kit worn by Jorge Campos, with its explosion of colour blocks, remains one of the most copied designs in football. The 1998 home shirt with the Aztec calendar face across the chest is regularly voted among the best World Cup kits ever made. The 2006 shirt is another favourite. When Adidas releases a tournament kit for Mexico, it usually leans on one of these lineages rather than starting from scratch.
If you are buying, check that the shirt carries the federation crest and an official manufacturer hologram or product code. Authentic and replica versions differ in fabric weight and fit, with the authentic cut being noticeably tighter and lighter.
Shirt numbers and squad tradition
Mexico follows the standard international convention: number 1 goes to the first-choice goalkeeper, and the low outfield numbers belong to defenders. Beyond that, a few numbers carry weight. The 14 shirt is associated with Javier Hernandez, better known as Chicharito, the country’s record goalscorer and the player who did the most to move Mexican football onto Premier League and European screens. The 10 shirt has historically gone to the creative lead of the generation.
The modern era has been defined by unusual longevity. Andres Guardado, Rafael Marquez, Guillermo Ochoa and Hernandez all played across multiple World Cup cycles. Marquez in particular captained Mexico at a run of consecutive World Cups and won major honours at Barcelona, which set the template for the Mexican player who succeeds abroad and returns to lead the national team. Ochoa built a reputation on tournament goalkeeping performances that repeatedly kept Mexico in matches against far more fancied opponents.
Squads turn over from window to window, so rather than memorise a list, watch which players are getting minutes at Liga MX clubs like Club America, Chivas, Monterrey and Tigres, plus the growing group in MLS and in Europe. That pool is where the call-ups come from.
CONCACAF and the qualification pathway
Mexico competes in CONCACAF, the confederation covering North America, Central America and the Caribbean. In a standard World Cup cycle, qualification runs through a group phase and then a final round, historically nicknamed the Hexagonal when it featured six teams. Mexico has been one of the region’s two dominant sides for decades, alongside the United States, and the rivalry between them is the fixture that defines the confederation.
The other regular competitions are the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the confederation’s continental championship held every two years and largely staged in the United States, and the CONCACAF Nations League, which added competitive matches to windows that used to be filled with friendlies. Mexico has also competed at the Copa America by invitation in several editions, which brings South American opposition into the calendar.
Co-hosting the 2026 World Cup
Mexico is a confirmed host nation for the 2026 World Cup, sharing the tournament with the United States and Canada. Estadio Azteca in Mexico City hosts the opening match. That stadium already holds a unique place in the sport as the venue for the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals, and 2026 makes it the first ground to stage matches at three men’s World Cups. Guadalajara and Monterrey are the other two Mexican host cities.
Practically, co-host status means Mexico takes an automatic place in the tournament rather than going through the CONCACAF final round. It also means a long run of preparation friendlies in place of qualifiers, which is why the fixture list in the widget above will show a mix of high-profile opposition rather than regional qualifying ties.
How to follow the fixtures
Mexico’s matches split across several rights holders depending on the competition and the country you are watching from. Gold Cup, Nations League and World Cup matches sit with different broadcasters than friendlies, and Spanish-language and English-language coverage in the United States is often held by separate networks. Check the competition first, then the broadcaster, rather than assuming one subscription covers every El Tri match.
The simplest way to stay current is the fixture widget on this page. It updates automatically as matches are scheduled and confirmed, so it stays accurate through international windows, tournament draws and friendly announcements without anyone editing a static list.