And so it’s settled. On November 15, Peru claimed the final spot in the 32-team field for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, bringing us to the final event before the June 14 kick off at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow: the draw to determine the eight groups of four for the finals.
We know — as evidenced by their march through CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and a solid showing at the 2017 Confederations Cup — that this Mexico side is capable of making a splash at next summer’s World Cup, but just what should we expect from the world’s 16th-ranked side? Based on the evidence of their November friendlies on European soil, a lot.
Some 40,000 Poles showed up at the Stadion Energa Gdansk to celebrate Poland’s qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia with a friendly match against Mexico on Monday, but the feel-good energy enveloping the arena was quickly ruined by El Tri striker Raul Jimenez.
The Benfica forward looked hungry early on, sending a battling header straight at Poland goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in the game’s opening minutes, but he made no mistake with his second effort only 13 minutes in.
This week we’ll be going over 10 players who have impressed most in Liga MX this season. Let's get right to it:
1. Aviles Hurtado
The best player on the best team. Simple as that.
2. Mauro Boselli Boselli
He is almost certainly going to win the golden boot again this season, and Leon are looking like favorites for a playoff spot.
3. Enner Valencia
The former West Ham man leads Tigres’ attack, the most dangerous in Liga MX
Ladies and gentlemen, Hirving Lozano is legit. We can say that without qualifiers. Against one of the best national teams in the world, Belgium, Lozano looked like a star, bagging a brace.
Both goals were good, too!
And Hiving Lozano ties it right back up #BELMEX pic.twitter.com/bzTCxqWOVK
Keisuke Honda’s first season in Liga MX with Pachuca was something of a disappointment with los Tuzos failing to qualify for the Apertura playoffs. However, the 31-year-old Japanese attacker recently showcased his quality with fantastic strikes against Santos and Cruz Azul, and there’s still a chance at redemption in the Copa MX.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has come through on his promise to make the World Cup bidding process more transparent and open to scrutiny after the fallout following the 2010 vote which saw the 2018 and 2022 World Cups handed to Russia and Qatar.
On June 13, 2018, 211 member federations and the 38-person FIFA council will decide who’ll win the right to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and all of those votes will be open to public viewing.