Mexico 5-1 Serbia: El Tri sign off World Cup prep with a statement

Serbia scored first, then watched it all unravel

Petar Stanic put Serbia ahead in the 19th minute. For about fifteen minutes, the upset was on.

Then Mexico woke up. Johan Vásquez headed in the equalizer off a Brian Gutiérrez cross — his second goal in two games — and just before the break Stefan Bukinac sliced a back pass into his own net. 2-1 at halftime. The momentum had flipped completely.

The second half turned into a procession

Raúl Jiménez made it 3-1 with a calm finish in the 57th. Then Serbia gifted Mexico another own goal, this time off Adem Avdic, and the game was gone. Luis Chávez added the gloss in the 90th, a long-range strike that you could see coming the second it left his boot.

Brutal.

By the end Mexico had 66.3% of the ball and 17 shot attempts to Serbia’s 3. That’s not a friendly. That’s a side rehearsing.

Nemesio Díez is still a fortress

Here’s the wild part. Mexico haven’t lost at this ground since a 1970 World Cup quarterfinal against Italy (yes, 1970). Fifty-five-plus years.

A lot of it is the altitude. The stadium sits at 8,727 feet, and visiting teams just can’t breathe up there the way El Tri can. Serbia faded in the second half the way most teams do. The 30,000 fans didn’t help them either.

Serbia showed up short, and it showed

Worth being honest about the opponent. Serbia didn’t qualify for the World Cup and brought a youth-heavy squad to Toluca. This wasn’t Portugal or Belgium — both of whom Mexico drew earlier this year.

So you take the result with a little context. But a win’s a win, and Mexico’s been undefeated all year. A 4-0 over Iceland, solid runs against Bolivia and Panama, that 1-0 over Australia last weekend. The rhythm is there.

Next up: South Africa at the Azteca on June 11

This was the last dress rehearsal. The real thing starts in a week.

Javier Aguirre’s side opens Group A against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca — the first stadium ever to host three men’s World Cups — before facing South Korea and Czechia. Mexico have reached the knockout stage in their last eight World Cups. The challenge now is the one they’ve never cracked: getting past the Round of 16.

On home soil, as one of three co-hosts, the pressure’s going to be enormous. It all begins with the FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony in Mexico City on June 11.

But on the evidence of Thursday? They look ready.

Coming to Mexico City for the tournament?

If you’re making the trip, plan early. Here’s where to watch World Cup 2026 in Mexico City — bars, fan zones, the lot. And when you’re not glued to a match, here are the best things to do in Mexico City between games.