Mexico officially announce first World Cup call up list

In an official ceremony, Mexico announced the first list of 31 players for the 2022 World Cup. Out of this list will come the 26 players that will be part of the final squad, with cuts coming after the end of their training camp in Girona, Spain in November. Mexico will be playing two friendlies during that time against Irak and Sweden. Coach Gerardo Martino announced the list of players as well as the list of young players that will go to the camp and take part as sparring players in practices.

The call up list was the following:

Goalkeepers: Guillermo Ochoa (America), Alfredo Talavera (FC Juarez), Rodolfo Cota (Leon).

Defenders: Jorge Sanchez (Ajax), Johan Vasquez (Cremonense), Cesar Montes (Monterrey), Gerardo Arteaga (RKC Genk), Hector Moreno (Monterrey), Nestor Araujo (America), Jesus Gallardo (Monterrey), Kevin Alvarez (Pachuca), Jesus Alberto Angulo (Tigres).

Midfielders: Edson Alvarez (Ajax), Andres Guardado (Betis), Erick Gutierrez (PSV Eindhoven), Hector Herrera (Houston Dynamo), Diego Lainez (Sporting Braga), Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens), Carlos Rodriguez (Cruz Azul), Luis Romo (Monterrey), Luis Chavez (Pachuca), Roberto Alvarado (Chivas), Uriel Antuna (Cruz Azul), Erick Sanchez (Pachuca).

Forwards: Hirving Lozano (Napoli), Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton), Jesus Manuel Corona (Sevilla), Santiago Gimenez (Feyenoord), Alexis Vega (Chivas), Henry Martin (America), Rogelio Funes Mori (Monterrey).

The list of players that will be sparring is the following:

Sparring: Karel Campos (America), Sebastian Perez Bouquet (Chivas), Emilio Lara (America), Emilio Martinez (Puebla), Roman Martinez (America) Victor Guzman (Tijuana), Isaias Violante (Toluca), Fidel Ambriz (Leon), Heriberto Jurado (Necaxa), Jesus Hernandez (Pachuca), Ali Avila (Monterrey), Mauricio Isais (Pachuca), Jorge Ruvalcaba (Pumas), Alfredo Gutierrez (Raya2), Santiago Trigos (Pumas).

There were no surprises in the list as very few changes were made from the last call up list for the Peru and Colombia matches. Chivas’ Fernando Beltran failed to make the cut and it was already known that Santos’ goalkeeper, Carlos Acevedo, had failed to make the team over veteran Rodolfo Cota. Injured players Jesus Corona and Raul Jimenez are still in the list and if they’re healthy enough, are sure bets to make the final list. However, that is a very big if. Also, Marcelo Flores should have been a player to be part of the sparring, but since Spain’s 2nd division will keep playing through the World Cup, his team Real Oviedo wouldn’t release him. Mexico will face Irak on November 9th and close out their preparation against Sweden on November 16th before travelling to Qatar.