On Tuesday, Robert Lewandowski’s Poland will face off against 2026 co-hosts Mexico at Stadium 974. Josh Gaillard previews.
To Win Match
Mexico 29/20 | Draw 2/1 | Poland 11/5
Co-hosting for the 2026 World Cup means trying to find a balance of players that could feature in four years with a squad that can currently compete.
World Cup qualification for El Tri has always been positive, bar the disqualification in 1990, going on to qualify for all seven editions thereafter. Mexico has advanced to the Round of 16 in every edition since 1994 but has failed to go any further. In 14 Qatar qualifiers, Mexico won eight, drew four and lost to USA and Canada away from home.
In 2019, former Barcelona and Argentina manager Gerardo Martino was appointed to spearhead the central Americans Qatar campaign. He has done the job to date, but many Mexican football fans are shaken up by the omission of Feyenoord’s Santiago Gimenez, Real Betis winger Diego Lainez, and superstar Raul Jimenez still injured alongside Sevilla’s number nine Jesus Corona.
While some key players are ruled out, a decent amount of up-and-coming talent will gain massive experience for 2026.
When you hear of the Poland national team, the first thing that comes to mind is Robert Lewandowski. The 2022 World Cup will most likely be his final chance to make an impression on the international stage, and just like Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo, he will make sure you feel his presence.
Poland has struggled in the World Cup qualifying for just the third time in 2018 since it became a 32-team tournament. In each of the 2018, 2006, and 2002 editions, the Poles failed to advance from their group. Their qualification process was promising, losing just twice to England and Hungary, winning seven and drawing one.
The Polish FA was given a shock last Christmas when coach Paulo Sousa announced he was leaving, and the nation struggled to find a replacement. Czeslaw Michniewicz got the position despite a turbulent run at Legia Warsaw. He came in and solidified Poland’s spot via a 2-0 playoff victory over Sweden.
Prediction: Mexico + Under 3.5 Goals 7/4
World Cup finals hardly ever have high-scoring opening matchday encounters. Most sides are tight defensively, limiting the opposition as often as possible, and I believe Mexico does that better than most. Poland lacks quality in most areas of the pitch and hasn’t had enough time under the new coach, while Mexico is thriving, and cohesion is at a high.
