Nation: Mexico
FIFA ranking: 13th
World Cup achievements: Quarter-finals (1970, 1986)

Sky Sports' Ron Walker:

For a footballing-mad nation and the ninth-largest in the world by population, Mexico's World Cup history has never taken off in the way they would have dreamed.

The reward for reaching 16 of 21 finals tournaments ahead of Qatar, as many as England, has been a measly pair of quarter-final appearances, and both when the tournament was held on home soil.

Playing away from Latin America has been a challenge too daunting to overcome, despite producing players of clear quality across the generations. Something has just never clicked.

There is even some rather harshly delivered criticism that Mexico's greatest contribution to the World Cup has been the Mexican Wave, introduced to a global audience when they last hosted the tournament back in 1986.

Why has it never worked out for a country which has spent the majority of the last 30 years inside FIFA's top-20 ranked sides?

Just as Mexico have never travelled well to finals tournaments, so many of their greatest, most-capped players have spent their careers playing in central or North America, and experienced something of a culture shock when they have been exposed not only to different environments but such a variation of opposition too.

Recent frustrations have been as much down to circumstance as Mexico's own shortcomings, though.

At the 2014 World Cup, they emerged unbeaten from a group containing Brazil, Croatia and Cameroon, only to concede twice in the final two minutes to lose to a talented Netherlands side in the next round.

Further back in 2006, it took Argentina until extra-time to see off their continental colleagues at the same stage.

These are small crumbs of comfort for a side who have waited to reach the revered 'fifth game' for 36 years. Since 1986, it's all they have - and it's why they turned to former Barcelona manager Gerardo Martino, a man with international experience leading Argentina and Paraguay, to make it a reality this time around.

“Mexico have been consistent in being one of the best 16 teams in World Cups. We hope to be better than that in this process,” was Mexico Football Federation president Yon De Luisa's clear message at his unveiling in 2019.

Three years on that hope seems as far away as ever amid criticism of Martino's methods, a real problem with goalscoring and stagnant performances both in qualifying and friendlies.

Perhaps influenced by those past failures, he has spent little time casting an eye over domestic talent and has been criticised for delegating visits to Mexican league matches to his assistants.

As a result, European-based players have been given what has been perceived as undue precedence in the national squad, even when they have only played bit-part roles for their club sides.

Another bone of contention involves Carlos Vela and Javier Hernandez, two stalwarts of the national team who will both be absent in Qatar, albeit for reasons not entirely of Martino's own making.

Vela unofficially retired from international duty in 2019, while Hernandez has been ostracised from the Mexico squad since his part in organising a party with a group of models in the build-up to one of Martino's first matches.

There has never been any official word from the manager on the reasons for Hernandez's absence, but the absence of Mexico's all-time top goalscorer has done little to calm tensions around their faltering performances, particularly in front of goal.

All in all, Mexico will arrive in Qatar next month far from a harmonious unit as they look to upset the odds and make history on foreign soil.

Group C

Fixtures & results

Most recent squad

Route to final

Insight

On paper, Mexico's group-stage draw has been relatively kind, pitting them against minnows Saudi Arabia, a Poland side who have not progressed beyond the group stages since 1986, and group favourites Argentina.

Even with their stuttering form, Mexico should have enough in their locker to reach an eighth consecutive last-16 spot.

Beyond that, life is looking familiarly tough. Should results follow the form book and they finish second in Group C, a likely meeting with World Cup holders France awaits in the first knockout round and therein lies little hope of causing an upset.

The groundswell of support three years ago around the appointment of Martino, with top-level experience at both club and international level, fell away quickly and the mood music around the national team is especially negative coming into the tournament.

Just 17 goals in 14 qualifying matches, without Vela and Hernandez to help, as well as general patchy displays in the build-up to Qatar have led Martino to come out swinging against media criticism, and last month he claimed a "campaign" was being led against him ahead of the tournament.

"Here, we call that 'opening the umbrella before it rains'," AS Mexico journalist Ricardo Magallan told Sky Sports.

"That is, Martino is already preparing the ground to justify what seems will be an imminent failure in Qatar."

Though Ajax midfielder Edson Alvarez was touted by Chelsea in the summer, he is one of a rare breed of elite-level players in their squad, and a lack of fresh talent emerging was highlighted with Mexico's squad the oldest of the eight in CONCACAF qualifying.

If Martino is to fulfil the federation's wish and reach the promised land of the last eight, it will be as much a surprise to Mexico fans as anyone, even after 36 years of hope.

Player to watch

Name: Edson Alvarez
Position: Central midfielder
Club: Ajax
Age: 24

Edson Alvarez suddenly became a familiar name to English football fans on Transfer Deadline Day, when Chelsea's last-minute bid for the 24-year-old was ultimately unsuccessful.

He has been growing his reputation in Europe for some while, joining Ajax in the summer of 2019 in part to help soften the blow of the departure of Frenkie De Jong, and he has settled well in the Dutch capital.

A tough tackler who is equally adept on the ball as off it and who does his fair share in the air too, as Rangers found out to their despair in the Champions League last month.

The international stage perhaps lends itself best to his assets where he can dictate play from deep, while still offering a defensive shield to the Mexico backline.

"There is currently no other Mexican football player at his level," Magallan told Sky Sports. "He is a player who not only defends, but also makes a huge contribution to the attack; he has a lot of vision and is very creative for Mexico."

Where will Mexico stay?

Simaisma A Murwab Resort

Qatar stadiums

Qualification in pictures