Without the need to participate in World Cup Qualifying, there have been lingering concerns that the trio of World Cup host nations, the United States, Mexico, and Canada, would struggle to be fully prepared for the 2026 tournament. The friendlies scheduled for both October and November have gone a long way toward easing those concerns, with all three nations set to face high-quality competition.<\/p>\n
Two of the most exciting games this international window are Mexico’s clashes with Colombia and Ecuador. On October 11th in Dallas at AT&T Stadium (home of the Dallas Cowboys), Mexico hosts Colombia in a meeting of two of the largest international fanbases in the United States. Three days later, El Tri host CONMEBOL standouts Ecuador\u2014who finished second in World Cup qualifying\u2014at home in Mexico.<\/p>\n
Colombia found form late in CONMEBOL qualifying, finishing third after a 3\u20130 win against Bolivia<\/a> and a massive 6\u20133 victory away to Venezuela<\/a>. The team still hasn\u2019t decided on a permanent starting goalkeeper, though Cruz Azul\u2019s Kevin Mier currently leads the race. Daniel Mu\u00f1oz has helped Crystal Palace start strong this season, while Fluminense\u2019s Kevin Serna and Girona\u2019s 21-year-old Yaser Asprilla add energy in midfield. Luis D\u00edaz is in top form<\/a> for Bayern Munich, and Cucho Hern\u00e1ndez of Real Betis joins him in attack. All eyes will be on Luis Su\u00e1rez, who scored four against Venezuela<\/a> and has five goals in seven games for Sporting CP. With D\u00edaz and Su\u00e1rez, Colombia boasts two of the world\u2019s most in-form attackers\u2014potentially in the same lineup.<\/p>\n Mexico, meanwhile, continues to struggle for goals and a consistent attack. El Tri haven\u2019t lost since June, when they conceded four to Switzerland in Salt Lake City, but they haven\u2019t scored more than two goals in a match across their last seven fixtures\u2014including a scoreless draw against Japan in Oakland last month.<\/p>\n