Mexico defeats Serbia 5-1 in final warm‑up before 2026 World Cup

Mexico's national team concluded its pre‑World Cup preparation with a 5‑1 victory over Serbia at the Estadio Nemesio Diez in Toluca on 4 June 2026. Serbia opened the scoring in the 19th minute through Petar Stanic, but Mexico equalised when centre‑back Johan Vásquez headed in a cross at 34 minutes. The hosts then took the lead after a Serbian defensive error – Stefan Bukinac scored an own‑goal – and extended the advantage when Raúl Jiménez converted a rebound at 57 minutes. A second Serbian own‑goal by Adem Avdic followed, and Luis Chávez sealed the win in the final minutes.

The match gave coach Javier Aguirre a clearer view of his likely starting XI for the tournament opener against South Africa, while Serbian boss Veljko Paunović praised Mexico, saying “Mexico is a great team, very strong at home, with a frenetic attack.” Aguirre noted the result is a “double‑edged sword” that must be managed to avoid over‑confidence. Key performers included Vásquez, who added his third international goal, and Jiménez, who broke a seven‑month goal drought for the Tri. The win leaves Mexico motivated and confident ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which the country will co‑host.