Mexico’s European Rivals: Analyzing Potential Matchups
Route D and what Mexico will face
The winner of Route D will travel to face Mexico on June 24. That match is set for Estadio Banorte and will be Mexico’s final group game under Javier Aguirre.
Mexico’s Group A schedule includes two games in Mexico City and one in Atlanta. Fans monitoring Mexico’s European rivals should follow the March playoffs closely.
The four contenders
Denmark
Denmark competed in UEFA Group C with Scotland, Greece and Belarus. Coach Brian Riemer saw his team start strong, winning three of their first four matches.
A 2-2 home draw with Belarus and a loss in Glasgow dropped Denmark into the playoffs. Bookmakers list them among the favorites, led by Rasmus Hojlund, Christian Eriksen and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Riemer named eight uncapped players for the playoff window. Notable newcomers include Kasper Høgh of Bodo/Glimt and William Osula of Newcastle United.
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic finished second in Group L behind Croatia. That group also included the Faroe Islands, Montenegro and Gibraltar.
Croatia won the section unbeaten. The Czechs secured a playoff spot but suffered a surprise loss to the Faroe Islands on October 12.
Key figures are Patrik Schick, who has 24 goals in 50 caps, and Tomas Soucek, with 17 goals in 87 appearances. Manager Miroslav Koubek leans on an experienced squad. Twelve players are over 28 years old. Vladimir Darida, at 35, is the oldest. Adam Karabec, 22 and at Lyon, is the only under-23 in the roster.
The nation aims to return to the World Cup after a 20-year absence. Their last tournament finish saw one win and two losses in the group stage.
Ireland
Ireland sealed their playoff place after a dramatic comeback in Budapest. Troy Parrott scored late goals, including a stoppage-time strike, to complete a hat-trick.
They finished behind Portugal in Group F, with Hungary and Armenia also in the section. Portugal qualified directly.
Leading names include Parrott, Adam Idah of Swansea City, Jason Knight of Bristol City, and Robbie Brady of Preston North End. Most squad members play in England. Parrott is at AZ Alkmaar, while defender Liam Scales plays for Celtic. Scales is a teammate of Mexican fullback Julián Araujo, who is on loan from Bournemouth.
If Ireland qualify, it would end a World Cup drought dating back to 2002.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia reached the playoffs as Group J’s third-place side, aided by Nations League performance. That pool included Belgium, Wales, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein.
The team recorded three wins, four draws and one loss. Goce Sedloski coaches a squad hunting its first-ever World Cup berth.
Standout players include Aleksandar Trajkovski, Eljif Elmas and captain Enis Bardhi. Sebastián Herrera, born in Colombia, gained Macedonian citizenship in 2020 after five years at Rabotnicki. The defender could make his international debut in his early thirties.
How the playoffs will decide Mexico’s opponent
The European playoffs feature two semifinals in late March, followed by winners meeting in a final. The Route D champion will book the June date in Mexico.
Fans and analysts are closely analyzing potential matchups among these four sides. Filmogaz.com will monitor developments as teams prepare for high-stakes March fixtures.
