Preview: USA vs Mexico - prediction, team news, lineups

Another chapter in the historic rivalry between the USA and Mexico will play out on Saturday as the two teams clash in a friendly at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

The Americans come into this game off a convincing 4-2 win over Chile, while El Tri settled for a 1-1 draw against Peru.

Match preview

A new batch of American players are making quite the early impact with the senior squad after two friendlies this fall.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side have won both of their friendlies in this window, netting four goals each time, and on Saturday can match their longest winning run in friendlies from 2025 (three).

With all but five of their players called up to this window under 25, it speaks to how far this program has come, and the talent pool Pochettino has at his disposal.

Rarely have we seen them struggle to find the back of the net, with the Yanks scoring in 10 of their 11 internationals this year.

This upcoming encounter will be the fifth time they face a CONCACAF side in Glendale, with the US team unbeaten in those four previous meetings.

On Saturday, they can end a four-match losing run against North American opposition, with their last win against the Mexicans taking place in the 2024 CONCACAF Nations League final (2-0).

The start of the Rafael Marquez era at the helm of Mexico has been up and down so far with his team struggling to find consistency early on.

While they are undefeated in his first two matches as the coach, we have only seen flashes of the side that performed so well at this summer’s World Cup.

At the same time, the Mexicans have yet to lose a friendly this year, dropping points in just four of those instances so far.

In only one of their last 11 internationals have they failed to win when netting the opening goal, though they have conceded the opener on those last three occasions.

Since suffering a 2-0 defeat at Honduras in a November 2025 Nations League outing, Mexico have gone unbeaten in their last nine games versus CONCACAF opposition.

A win this weekend would give them three in a row versus the US, matching their longest winning run against their arch rivals this century.

USA International Friendlies form:

USA form (all competitions):

Mexico International Friendlies form:

Mexico form (all competitions):

Team News

Knee issues will keep Alejandro Zendejas out of the US lineup, while Folarin Balogun is being rested after an early-season issue at Monaco, Christian Pulisic was left off the team for that same reason and Ricardo Pepi has a muscle strain.

Chris Brady made his first start between the sticks for the senior side on Tuesday, while Adri Mehmeti became the latest teenager to start a match for the Americans, with the New York Red Bulls player, doing so at 17 years and 176 days.

Sebastian Berhalter, Julian Hall, Chris Richards and Matthis Albert all scored in their victory versus Chile, the first for the latter with the national team.

A glute strain will keep Cesar Montes on the Mexican sidelines this weekend, while teenage phenom Gilberto Mora could be out as well as he recovers from a sore ankle, while Raul Jimenez and Julian Quinones are both out through injury.

In that draw with Peru, Hugo Camberos, Santiago Sandoval and Oscar Garcia all collected their first senior caps.

Victor Guzman headed home the equaliser for them on that occasion, his first for El Tri in his seventh appearance on the international stage.

USA possible starting lineup:

Schwake; Freeman, Campbell, Trusty, Miller; Musah, Adams; Albert, Berhalter, Reyna; Hall

Mexico possible starting lineup:

Rangel; Sanchez, Vasquez, Reyes, Gallardo; Lira, Romo; Alvarado, Pineda, Lozano; Gimenez

We say: USA 1-1 Mexico

Neither team will have difficulty getting up for this game, and we expect a spirited affair between the two, who rarely give an inch when facing one another, whether in a friendly or another match.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.