Portugal will kick off their North American friendly tour on Saturday night. During the March FIFA break, they are scheduled to play two matches: the first comes tonight at Estadio Azteca against Mexico, followed by a clash next Tuesday against the USMNT at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Unfortunately for Mexican and American fans, Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of these matches. The Al Nassr forward was not included in coach Roberto Martinez’s squad as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury that has sidelined him for exactly one month.
Even so, Portugal will field an extremely competitive side, with most of their stars available. Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes will be one of the main attractions, alongside other top-level players such as Vitinha, Joao Felix, and Joao Cancelo.
On the other side are Mexico, who remain in the process of building a clear playing identity. Head coach Javier Aguirre knows he faces the difficult task of shaping his squad into a serious contender ahead of a World Cup that will be especially meaningful, as they are one of the hosts. That makes this test against one of the world’s top national teams, Portugal, particularly valuable.
Roberto Martinez, Head Coach of Portugal.
Projected Mexico lineup
While facing Portugal will require Mexico to be more cautious than they typically are against Concacaf opposition, Javier Aguirre will not sacrifice attacking firepower. Key players such as Raul Jimenez and Julian Quinones are expected to feature in the starting lineup.
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Mexico’s projected XI: Raul Rangel; Johan Vasquez, Cesar Montes, Jesus Gallardo, Jorge Sanchez; Erick Lira, Carlos Rodriguez, Alvaro Fidalgo; Julian Quinones, Roberto Alvarado, Raul Jimenez.
Projected Portugal lineup
In addition to Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence, Roberto Martinez must also cope with missing key players such as Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias during this March international break. However, that will not prevent him from naming a lineup filled with top-tier talent.
Portugal’s projected XI to face Mexico: Jose Sa; Joao Cancelo, Renato Veiga, Gonzalo Inacio, Nuno Mendes; Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bruno Fernandes; Joao Felix, Pedro Neto, Gonzalo Ramos.
