Mexico beats Ghana 2-0 in World Cup warm-up

Mexico defeated Ghana 2-0 in a World Cup warm-up match on Friday night at Estadio Cuauhtémoc in Puebla. The victory provided a positive start to the final phase of preparations for the host nation just three weeks before the 2026 tournament begins.

Brian Gutierrez opened the scoring for Mexico in the second minute, curling a shot into the net from the edge of the penalty area. Substitute Guillermo Martinez sealed the result in the 54th minute, finishing a counterattack to double the lead. Mexico controlled much of the match, though Ghana threatened an equalizer early in the second half, forcing saves and hitting the crossbar.

The friendly served as a key evaluation opportunity for both teams ahead of finalizing their World Cup rosters. Mexico’s coach, Javier Aguirre, is set to name his final squad on June 1. He used the match to assess players, including several Europe-based professionals who entered as second-half substitutes. Aguirre praised the effort of those competing for spots, stating that trying their best was already worthwhile in the selection process.

Ghana was led by assistant coach Desmond Ofei, as newly appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz was absent due to personal...