Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the international friendly match.
South Korea and Japan have travelled together to face the 2026 FIFA World Cup hosts, the United States and Mexico. Japan will start their mini-tour against Mexico, and the match will be played in Oakland, California.
Mexico
Mexico have named a 25-man squad. Only nine players are based at European clubs, and not all of them are in the top five leagues. The squad includes forward César Huerta of Club Universidad Nacional. The biggest surprise is the inclusion of Hirving Lozano. During the 13 months since Javier Aguirre returned as Mexico head coach, the 30-year-old San Diego FC forward has not been called up once. In a partial season with his new club, Hirving Lozano has scored nine goals and provided six assists, and with his club now based nearby, this is a logical opportunity to assess him.
Japan
The teams are similar: both enjoyed success in the summer. Mexico lifted the prestigious CONCACAF Gold Cup, and Japan won the EAFF E-1 Football Championship a week later. For Japan, the key target was to qualify comfortably for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — they did so early, winning their qualifying group. A 25-man travelling party has headed to the Americas, including 18 Europe-based players. With that depth, the squad can aim high.
Mexico vs Japan Prediction
The opponents look well matched, but Mexico are slight favourites. The 2:0 win in a head-to-head meeting in late 2020 also underlines their strength. On that occasion, the second goal was scored by Hirving Lozano. Our pick is Mexico with a zero goal handicap.
