Jesús Gallardo, Toluca player and World Cup call-up, could be among those affected.
Mexico’s national team has warned that any player who fails to report for the start of training camp on Wednesday will be excluded from the 2026 World Cup squad. The ultimatum comes amid media reports suggesting several internationals might skip the first day due to club commitments.
The warning was issued after local media revealed Tuesday that two Mexican internationals from Toluca would not join the pre-World Cup camp on Wednesday because they are set to play in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal. That match against Los Angeles FC is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. local time in Toluca de Lerdo, just half an hour before coach Javier Aguirre’s official camp begins—less than six weeks before the World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.
The potential absence of the Toluca players angered Guadalajara’s Chivas, who had already released their five internationals to the national team despite the club’s ongoing Liga MX quarterfinal series. Chivas president Amaury Vergara ordered the return of his selected players—Raúl Rangel, Luis Romo, Brian Gutiérrez, Roberto Alvarado, and Armando González—so they could prepare for the second leg of their quarterfinal against Tigres this weekend.
“By instructions of the coaching staff, any player who does not report to camp today will be left out of the World Cup,” the Mexican Football Federation said in a statement.
Aguirre has called up 20 players for the camp, all from Mexican clubs, to be held at the Mexican Football Federation’s High Performance Center in Mexico City. Since February, clubs had agreed to release players after the regular season of the Clausura tournament and following the first leg of the Concacaf semifinals.
However, according to Mexican media, left-back Jesús Gallardo and winger Alexis Vega—both summoned by Aguirre—trained with Toluca on Tuesday, and coach Antonio Mohamed plans to field them in the second leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup.
“Agreements are only valid when all parties respect them,” Guadalajara’s president posted on X.
The Mexican camp is designed to prepare for friendlies against Ghana (May 22), Australia (May 30), and Serbia (June 4)—the final tests before the World Cup. All three matches will be played on Mexican soil.