Mexico vs Portugal prediction 29.03.2026 | Friendly International

Mexico are a regular participant in the World Cups, but haven't gone past the 1/8 Finals in the previous eight tournaments. Last time, in Qatar, they exited the tournament early - in the Group Stage. Since Mexico have qualified for the upcoming WC as one of the co-hosts, they did not go through the qualifiers and only played friendlies for almost a year. There, they had mixed results, but in July last year, the Mexicans did well in the Gold Cup, winning the competition for the 13th time. 

Several players who aren't called for the upcoming games against Portugal and Belgium are missing mostly due to injuries - Luis Malagon, Marcel Ruiz, Luis Romo, Julian Araujo, Cesar Huerta, Edson Alvarez, Gilberto Mora, and Mateo Chavez. Meanwhile, Santiago Gimenez recovered from his injury and played for AC Milan, but wasn't called up because coach Javier Aguirre feels he needs a bit more time to recover. 

Portugal easily secured another World Cup appearance by winning 13 points in six rounds in Group F. They did well, but we also have to mention they had a fairly easy group with Ireland, Hungary, and Armenia. Before the WC Qualifiers, they also performed well in the UEFA Nations League A, beating neighboring Spain in the Finals and securing their second title in that competition. 

Cristiano Ronaldo, Diogo Costa, Ruben Dias, Rafael Leao, Bernardo Silva, and Joao Palhinha are all ruled out for the upcoming friendlies due to injuries or fitness issues. Meanwhile, Mateus Fernandes is one of the standout inclusions, earning his first call for the senior team. The young midfielder has been very good for West Ham this season and should get some playing time, especially with so many absences.