{"id":350664,"date":"2026-06-07T15:59:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:59:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/350664\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T15:59:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T15:59:23","slug":"can-edson-alvarez-lead-mexico-to-elusive-world-cup-quarterfinals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/350664\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Edson \u00c1lvarez lead Mexico to elusive World Cup quarterfinals?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mexican midfielder Edson \u00c1lvarez underwent surgery on his left ankle after getting injured during a match with his club team, Fenerbahce, last February. It kept him sidelined from both his Turkish squad and the Mexican national team.<\/p>\n

At times, his participation in this summer\u2019s World Cup was in jeopardy.<\/p>\n

But thanks to his resilience, \u00c1lvarez will be Mexico\u2019s captain as he plays in his third World Cup. He is one of the key leaders of coach Javier Aguirre\u2019s team that will aim to reach at least the quarterfinals \u2014 a feat that has eluded El Tri in the last eight World Cups.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been a very busy few months for me, with the whole injury issue, but I\u2019ve always believed this and said it publicly: I\u2019m a firm believer that everything that happens in our lives happens for a reason,\u201d \u00c1lvarez said. \u201cSo, I also dedicated this time to myself to continue growing as a soccer player and as a person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mexico <\/p>\n

Mexico defender Edson \u00c1lvarez dribbles during a friendly against Australia on May 30 at the Rose Bowl.<\/p>\n

(Kyusung Gong \/ Ap Photo\/kyusung Gong)<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvarez made his World Cup debut in Russia in 2018 at 20, the youngest player on the roster, competing in all of Mexico\u2019s matches. Four years later in Qatar, he played two matches and was stranded on the bench by Mexico\u2019s coach at the time, Gerardo Martino, against eventual champion Argentina.<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvarez, known as \u201cEl Mach\u00edn\u201d for his tenacity and courage on the field, endeared himself to fans for his leadership off the field last summer.<\/p>\n

The Mexican team, including Aguirre and officials, remained silent ahead of the Gold Cup played in the United States as immigration raids and mass deportations took place throughout the country. Southern California, a key market for El Tri, was among the first areas inundated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.<\/p>\n

Additionally, President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to bolster the immigration agencies swarming the area.<\/p>\n

While Aguirre and team officials avoided questions, \u00c1lvarez posted on social media: \u201cI want to send a message of respect and solidarity to all the Latino families in Los Angeles who are facing difficult times today, and especially to my Mexican people. I admire your courage, your hard work, and your determination to get ahead. We stand with you. Don\u2019t lose faith.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvarez has learned how to keep his faith in an array of adverse circumstances.<\/p>\n

\"Mexico <\/p>\n

Mexico midfielder Edson \u00c1lvarez covers his ears as he celebrates scoring against the U.S. during the 2025 Golden Cup final in Houston.<\/p>\n

(Ashley Landis \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Early on, he faced extensive criticism for his performances. When he played for Ajax, he was criticized for his \u201cpoor ball handling and unorthodox style\u201d by legends such as Wesley Sneijder, who called him \u201cthe worst defensive player in the Dutch league.\u201d \u00c1lvarez kept working and found himself among the players with the most minutes logged at Ajax, winning the Eredivisie in 2020-21 and 2021-22 as well as the KNVB Cup in 2020-21.<\/p>\n

After joining West Ham United, he earned the respect of new Chelsea FC manager Xabi Alonso, who described \u00c1lvarez as a \u201ckey\u201d player for the English club, noting that he was \u201cgood on the ball, aggressive in recovery, likes to get into the air and also has good ball control.\u201d Alonso could pursue signing \u00c1lvarez, whose club career is in need of stability.<\/p>\n

The 28-year-old just ended his stint with Fenerbahce, which acquired him on loan. His tenure was difficult as injuries prevented him from establishing consistency. West Ham was relegated from the Premier League to the EFL Championship in late May, so the World Cup will be crucial as \u00c1lvarez seeks better club opportunities in Europe.<\/p>\n

His story reflects the challenges many Mexican players experienced ahead of the World Cup, fighting to rebound from injuries and limited playing time.<\/p>\n

Santi Gim\u00e9nez, a forward for AC Milan, isn\u2019t joining Mexico\u2019s World Cup roster at his peak, having undergone surgery in December 2025 and been sidelined for more than four months before returning to the field in mid-March. Mexico lost starting goalkeeper Luis Malag\u00f3n and midfielder Marcel Ruiz, who didn\u2019t recover from injuries in time to play in the World Cup.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the obstacles, Mexican players will face the pressure to perform well as a World Cup host nation and will count on their fans to be their most formidable ally.<\/p>\n

\"Mexico <\/p>\n

Mexico players pose for a team photo before a friendly on May 30 at the Rose Bowl.<\/p>\n

(Kyusung Gong \/ Ap Photo\/kyusung Gong)<\/p>\n

\u201cThat positive energy, in the end, is contagious. It will rub off on all of us. The fans are like our 12th player \u2014 and the most important one,\u201d said \u00c1lvarez, a three-time Gold Cup winner and CONCACAF Nations League champion.<\/p>\n

Mexico opens the World Cup against South Africa on June 11 at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, then faces South Korea on June 18 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara. El Tri closes out the group stage against the Czech Republic on June 24 in the Mexican capital.<\/p>\n

When asked about the team\u2019s World Cup goals, Mexico\u2019s captain was cautious but ambitious. In a tournament that for the first time will feature 48 teams, Mexico\u2019s challenge remains at least reaching the elusive quarterfinals. <\/p>\n

\u201cClearly, the goal is always in our minds: to reach the knockout stages with Mexico, to be able to compete,\u201d \u00c1lvarez said. \u201c\u2026 Obviously, that\u2019s our dream and our desire, and we have a lot of faith and are eager to achieve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Mexico <\/p>\n

Mexico midfielder Edson \u00c1lvarez scores on a header during the 2025 Gold Cup final in Houston.<\/p>\n

(Ashley Landis \/ Associated Press)<\/p>\n

Despite not being able to participate in El Tri\u2019s crucial matches against Portugal and Belgium during the World Cup preparation phase, \u00c1lvarez closely followed his teammates\u2019 performances, and what he saw left him feeling optimistic heading into the tournament. Mexico managed a scoreless draw against Portugal, considered one of the favorites, and a 1-1 draw against Belgium, a team that thrashed the United States 5-2.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes me happy to see how my teammates performed so well against two great teams, and that makes me think we can achieve great things \u2014 that we have players with a positive, winning and fighting spirit,\u201d he said.\u201dI believe those are the values that define us as Mexicans. I\u2019m also excited to think about the future, about being there on opening day of the World Cup with thousands of Mexicans.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, having become one of the most experienced leaders on the Mexican national team, the native of Tlalnepantla de Baz has a clear message he wants to convey to young teammates about to compete in their first World Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s something that happens every four years \u2026 enjoy it,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve worked so hard, you\u2019ve earned it on the field and off it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Mexican midfielder Edson \u00c1lvarez underwent surgery on his left ankle after getting injured during a match with his…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":350665,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[9331,98430,143429,6161,11154,6308,349,2624,48,52,51,47,50,49,22169,143430,2457,9442,51333,315,5393],"class_list":["post-350664","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-alvarez","tag-club-team","tag-el-tri","tag-faith","tag-fan","tag-field","tag-injury","tag-june","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-match","tag-mexican-national-team","tag-mexico","tag-player","tag-respect","tag-time","tag-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350664","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=350664"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/350664\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/350665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=350664"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=350664"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=350664"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}