Home advantage ‘could be valuable’ – Torradopublished at 13:23 Moscow time
Mexico – Ecuador (Wed 02:00 BST)
Mexico played all three matches of the group stage on its territory – in Mexico City and Guadalajara.
They will play their third game at the Estadio Azteca against Ecuador and are set to stay in Mexico City again if they reach the round of 16, which could be against England.
Mexico reached the quarterfinals, its best results at the World Cup in 1970 and 1986 – the previous two World Cups were held on home soil.
In all tournaments from 1994 to 2018, they were eliminated in the 1/8 finals.
Gerardo Torrado is a Mexican football legend and the sixth most capped player in El Tri history, having made 147 appearances for his country and taking part in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 World Cups.
Torrado told FIFA he sees “significant potential” in the Mexico national team.
“I see a strong, balanced team. Aguirre has also deployed almost his entire squad, which reflects the healthy competition for places and the depth at his disposal,” Torrado said.
“This could be crucial at the World Cup given the heavy workload the players take on during the tournament.
“By finishing top of the group, Mexico will have home advantage, which could be valuable,” he added.
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