With the official lineups released for the opening game of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa, Edson Alvarez’s absence in the starting XI raised questions among the fans. Mexico and South Africa are set to clash on Thursday, June 11, to kick off the 2026 World Cup in front of a raucous, sellout crowd at the iconic Estadio Azteca. When the starting lineups were unveiled an hour before kickoff, eyebrows were immediately raised across North America as superstar midfielder Edson Alvarez was noticeably absent from El Tri’s starting XI.
Alvarez has been left out of the lineup against South Africa due to a purely tactical decision by manager Javier Aguirre. While the West Ham standout has fully recovered from a recent ankle injury, a lack of game fitness and competitive minutes ahead of the tournament prompted the head coach to opt for other options to open the tournament.
Against South Africa, Erik Lira will anchor the spine of the midfield in Alvarez’s place, while center-back Cesar Montes will assume leadership duties on the pitch, wearing the captain’s armband. Nevertheless, expectations remain high that the veteran midfielder will come off the bench to see some action in the second half, a strategy Aguirre mirrored during the team’s pre-World Cup warm-up friendlies.
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