A warning, if we needed one—France stumbles before the real test begins
Multiple World Cup contenders tested in final warm-up matches with surprising results: Mexico thrashes Serbia 5-1, Costa de Marfil defeats France 2-1, Spain draws Iraq 1-1. Key player updates: Neymar excluded from Brazil's Egypt friendly due to calf injury recovery; Messi trains with Argentina group for first time; Embolo receives US visa after two-day delay.
- Mexico defeats Serbia 5-1; Costa de Marfil beats France 2-1; Spain draws Iraq 1-1
- Neymar sidelined for Brazil's Egypt friendly due to calf injury; Messi trains with Argentina group for first time
- Argentina leads FIFA rankings; opening ceremony June 11 at Azteca Stadium with Shakira and Burna Boy
- Mexico plays eighth opening match, repeating 2010 opponent South Africa
As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, national teams compete in final friendlies with mixed results. Neymar sidelined for Brazil, Mexico dominates Serbia 5-1, while Costa de Marfil upsets France 2-1 and Spain draws with Iraq.
One week before the World Cup kicks off, the world's best soccer teams are taking their final swings at each other in friendlies, and the results are sending ripples through the tournament's conventional wisdom. Mexico demolished Serbia 5-1 in a statement performance that has the team arriving at its opening match against South Africa in peak form. The Mexicans, managed by Javier Aguirre, fell behind early when Peter Stanic scored for Serbia in the nineteenth minute, but Johan Vásquez equalized just fifteen minutes later. A Serbian own goal before halftime put Mexico ahead, and then the second half became a rout—Raúl Jiménez, another own goal, and Luis Chávez sealed a 5-1 victory that left no doubt about Mexico's readiness.
Elsewhere, the surprises kept coming. Costa de Marfil, a team few had circled as a threat, traveled to Nantes and beat France 2-1 in a result that stung the defending World Cup runners-up. France had taken the lead through Cherki late in the first half, but the Ivorian team struck twice in the second period with goals from Doué and Diallo, both coming on swift counterattacks. Didier Deschamps, France's manager, called it "a warning" after the match—a measured response that acknowledged the gap between expectation and execution. Spain, another heavyweight, fared little better, managing only a 1-1 draw with Iraq in La Coruña. Ferran Torres gave Spain the lead, but Iraq equalized through Doski, leaving Luis de la Fuente to insist his team still had "much preparation" ahead despite having just eleven days until their tournament debut.
The injury updates are shaping the tournament's narrative in real time. Neymar, Brazil's star forward, was ruled out of the team's final friendly against Egypt on Saturday, as Carlo Ancelotti continues managing the 34-year-old's recovery from a right calf strain suffered in May. The injury raises questions about whether Neymar will be ready for Brazil's opening match. In Argentina's camp, Lionel Messi trained with the full group for the first time since arriving in Kansas City, working through a left hamstring issue that remains within the expected recovery timeline. Messi will not play in Saturday's friendly against Honduras, but his presence on the field is a positive sign. Switzerland's Breel Embolo finally received his U.S. visa on Thursday after a two-day delay tied to a 2018 criminal conviction for threats, clearing the way for him to join his team in San Diego ahead of their Saturday match against Australia.
Argentina now sits atop the FIFA rankings, a position that comes with an uncomfortable historical footnote: no team ranked first when the rankings were first calculated has ever won the World Cup. The Scaloneta's ascent came partly because France and Spain both lost ground in the standings following their disappointing results. Japan switched training facilities in Monterrey after finding their original pitch in poor condition, moving to El Barrial to prepare properly. Republic Checa beat Guatemala 3-1 in New Jersey, with Patrik Schick opening the scoring in the eleventh minute before the Czechs pulled away in the second half. Sweden drew 2-2 with Greece in Stockholm, conceding an equalizer in the fifth minute of added time.
Off the field, the tournament machinery is spinning into place. FIFA confirmed that all players selected for match day—not just the starting eleven—will walk out together for the national anthems, ensuring every squad member experiences that ceremonial moment of national pride. The opening ceremony on June 11 at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City will feature Shakira and Burna Boy performing "Dai Dai," the official World Cup song, alongside a lineup that includes J Balvin, Maná, Tyla, and other artists. The song is tied to a fundraising initiative aimed at raising $100 million for global education and soccer access for children. Various national delegations are making their departures official: Colombia's president Gustavo Petro sent off his team with a flag and gifts for each player; Paraguay's president Santiago Peña presented the squad with a replica of the saber used by national hero Mariscal Francisco Solano López; Uruguay's president Yamandú Orsi visited the team's concentration in Montevideo before they traveled to Cancún, greeting coach Marcelo Bielsa, who announced he will step down after the tournament.
The tournament begins June 11 with Mexico facing South Africa in the inaugural match—a repeat of their 2010 encounter, the only other time these two teams have opened a World Cup together. Mexico will be playing in its eighth opening match, a record among all nations. As teams settle into their final preparations across North America, the friendlies have delivered their message: form is fragile, surprises are waiting, and nothing is certain until the whistle blows.
Citas Notables
It was a warning, if we needed one. I won't exaggerate—I wouldn't have been overly enthusiastic if we'd won either. It was a step forward, and not necessarily a good one, because it's a defeat.— Didier Deschamps, France manager, after loss to Costa de Marfil
I want us to be one of the most annoying teams at the World Cup.— Gustavo Alfaro, Paraguay manager
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does a friendly match result matter so much when the real tournament hasn't started?
Because it's the last honest test before the stakes become absolute. A team's shape, their confidence, their vulnerabilities—all of it gets exposed when they're playing a real opponent with nothing to lose. France losing to Costa de Marfil isn't just a scoreline; it's a signal that something isn't clicking.
But Deschamps called it "a warning." Does he actually believe that, or is he managing expectations?
Both, probably. He's not going to panic over a friendly, but he's also not blind. France has real problems to solve in the next week, and he knows it. The warning is real.
What about Neymar being sidelined? Is Brazil in trouble without him?
Not necessarily. Neymar's injury is a complication, not a catastrophe—yet. If he's healthy by the time Brazil's group stage starts, they're fine. If he's not, they have other weapons. But the uncertainty is the thing that weighs on a team. You want your best players available and sharp.
Argentina is ranked first but has never won when ranked first. Does that curse actually mean anything?
It's a pattern, not a curse. It probably means that the team ranked first has usually been built on the previous cycle's success, and the tournament rewards freshness and hunger. Argentina won in Qatar because they were hungry. Now they're the favorite, which is a different psychological position entirely.
Why does Mexico's 5-1 win over Serbia feel more significant than Spain's draw with Iraq?
Because Mexico showed dominance and control. They fell behind, responded, and then dismantled their opponent. That's the kind of performance that builds momentum. Spain's draw suggests they're still searching for their rhythm, and that's concerning when you're a favorite.
What's the real story here—the friendlies, or everything else happening around the tournament?
The friendlies are the story. Everything else—the ceremonies, the logistics, the player movements—that's theater. The friendlies tell you which teams are ready and which ones are hoping to get ready in time.