Hirving ‘Chucky’ Lozano Excluded From Mexico’s Preliminary World Cup Roster

Mexico national team manager Javier Aguirre has revealed his 55-man preliminary roster for the 2026 World Cup, with San Diego FC winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano arguably being the most notable omission from the list. Headlined by Fulham’s Raul Jimenez, Fenerbahçe’s Edson Alvarez, and veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who is attempting to appear in his sixth World Cup, Mexico’s roster will be narrowed down to 26 players by June 1, the official FIFA deadline. Mexico is set to kick off the tournament on home soil on June 11 against South Africa at the Estadio Banorte. Locker room issues in San Diego Lozano’s exclusion follows a period of inactivity and reported disciplinary tension with San Diego FC. Aguirre previously stated that consistent playing time was a requirement for selection, a condition Lozano was unable to meet after falling out of favor with his club’s coaching staff earlier this year. Lozano enjoyed a promising start to the club’s debut MLS season, but internal friction became public in October following reports of a locker room altercation with head coach Mikey Varas. His final appearance for the club came as a substitute during San Diego’s 3-1 playoff loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. Roster depth and injury concerns Rodrigo Huescas, a rising star in the Danish Superliga, will miss the tournament as he continues his recovery from a serious ACL tear suffered during a Champions League match in late 2025. Other injury-related absences from Mexico’s preliminary list include Chivas defender Jesús Orozco Chiquete and Club América goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón. In contrast, Aguirre has included several players recently returning from injury layoffs, such as Luis Chávez, César Huerta, and Julián Araujo. The manager also opted to bolster his goalkeeping depth, calling up six keepers in total, including José Antonio Rodríguez and Carlos Moreno. Rise in naturalized players and dual-nationals Continuing the trend of naturalized players and dual-nationals in the squad, the roster features Monterrey’s Germán Berterame, Al-Qadsiah’s Julián Quiñones, and Club América’s Álvaro Fidalgo. This trio represents a core of talent that has largely dominated Liga MX over the several seasons, with Fidalgo in particular expected to take on an attacking role in the midfield. They are joined by several Mexican-American prospects, including Brian Gutiérrez, Richard Ledezma, and Obed Vargas. Issues between Liga MX and the Mexican Football Federation While 12 Liga MX players were previously confirmed as “locks” for the squad in an agreement with domestic clubs, players like Diego Lainez, Marcel Ruiz, and Érick Sánchez were added to the preliminary list, likely as contingency options should injuries occur before the final submission in June. Last week, the Mexican Football Federation threatened to exclude any Liga MX-based player from the World Cup roster if they fail to report for national team duty. This came after Aguirre revealed a 20-player squad for a pre-World Cup training camp on May 6, when Toluca stars Jesús Gallardo and Alexis Vega remained with their club ahead of a Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal against LAFC rather than reporting to camp. This led to the Mexican Football Federation releasing a statement and calling for a press conference on May 6 to deliver an ultimatum. “As instructed by the coaching staff, any player who does not attend the training camp today will be left off the World Cup roster,” the statement read. Aguirre also spoke to media during a press conference the same day. “Whoever doesn’t come will be out of the World Cup. That is something we cannot be flexible about, not in the least,” Aguirre said. By nightfall on May 6, all 20 players Aguirre called into camp were present. Final preparations Before kicking off the World Cup, Aguirre and his men will take part in exhibitions against Ghana on May 22, Australia on May 30 and Serbia on June 4. Mexico will begin the group stage of the World Cup against South Africa on June 11, they’ll then face South Korea on June 18 and Czechia on June 24.