Bolivia Clashes with Mexico in Must-Watch International Friendly: Complete Match Preview, Bold Predictions and Starting XI Revealed
Mexico's national squad's January training camp moves forward with an extensive journey south to meet Bolivia this Sunday afternoon, seeking to begin 2026 with back-to-back victories.
El Tri wasn't particularly impressive but succeeded in beating Panama 1–0 on Thursday through an injury-time own goal. While the performance lacked dominance, Mexico showed clear superiority and several inexperienced players delivered solid performances that might boost their chances of earning spots in El Tri's 2026 World Cup squad.
The triumph over Panama also helped Javier Aguirre's team break a terrible six-match winless run that triggered concerns during the latter half of 2025. With that burden lifted, Mexico will be eager to continue building momentum with positive outcomes before the World Cup.
Bolivia, meanwhile, is gearing up for the forthcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers. Óscar Villegas's squad is pursuing their first World Cup qualification this century, and the match against Mexico will serve as Bolivia's final preparation before facing Suriname in their quest to reach within 90 minutes of next summer's major tournament.
Here's Sports Illustrated's preview of Mexico vs. Bolivia.
What Time Does Bolivia vs. Mexico Kick-Off?
What Time Does Bolivia vs. Mexico Kick-Off?
Bolivia vs. Mexico Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
Current Form (All Competitions)
Bolivia | Mexico |
|---|---|
Bolivia 1–1 Panama - 18/1/25 | Panama 0–1 Mexico 22/1/25 |
Peru 2–0 Bolivia - 21/12/25 | Mexico 1–2 Paraguay - 18/11/25 |
Japan 3–0 Bolivia - 18/11/25 | Mexico 0–0 Uruguay - 15/11/25 |
Sout Korea 2–0 Bolivia - 14/11/25 | Mexico 1–1 Ecuador - 14/10/25 |
Russia 3–0 Bolivia - 14/10/25 | Mexico 0–4 Colombia - 11/10/25 |
How to Watch Bolivia vs. Mexico on TV and Live Stream
How to Watch Bolivia vs. Mexico on TV and Live Stream
Country | TV Channel / Live Stream |
|---|---|
United States | TUDN USA, Univision, FOX One, FOX Deportes, ViX, FOX Sports App |
Mexico | TUDN, Canal 5, Azteca 7, ViX, Azteca Deportes |
Bolivia Team News
Bolivia Team News
Similar to El Tri, most of Bolivia's squad for this fixture consists of players from the domestic league, with traditional powerhouse Club Bolívar contributing eight players to Villegas's January camp.
More than half of Bolivia's roster comprises U-23 prospects. Villegas is evaluating his choices before the World Cup playoffs, though the youthful squad will benefit from experienced goalkeeper Carlos Lampe's leadership.
Rising stars Miguel Terceros and Ervin Vaca have established themselves as key players under Villegas, and are likely to feature against El Tri's arrival.
Bolivia Predicted Lineup vs. Mexico
Bolivia Predicted Lineup vs. Mexico
Bolivia predicted lineup vs. Mexico (4-3-3): Lampe; Macazaga, Gómez, Arroyo, Rodríguez; Villarroel, Vaca, Vaca; Terceros, Miranda, Nava.
Mexico Team News
Mexico Team News
Aguirre is anticipated to make significant changes to the starting eleven that played in Panama. Nevertheless, for the first time in nearly a year, El Vasco moved away from his favored 4-3-3 formation in favor of testing a 3-4-3 system, which is expected to continue at least through the January camp's conclusion.
The three dual nationals Obed Vargas, Richard Ledezma and Brian Gutiérrez featured against Panama, with only the latter unlikely to start again on Sunday.
The Cruz Azul midfield pair Erik Lira and Charly Gutiérrez will probably replace Luis Romo and Gutiérrez, while Jesús Gallardo could occupy the other wingback position.
In attack, Armando González might well substitute the Inter Miami-bound Germán Berterame to earn his first El Tri start.
Mexico Predicted Lineup vs. Bolivia
Mexico Predicted Lineup vs. Bolivia
Mexico predicted lineup vs. Bolivia (3-4-3): Malagón; Reyes, Lira, Juárez; Ledezma, Vargas, Rodríguez, Gallardo; Lainez, González, Castañeda.
Bolivia vs. Mexico Score Prediction
Bolivia vs. Mexico Score Prediction
Sunday's encounter will be a closely-fought battle with goal-scoring chances anticipated to be scarce for both sides. Most of the action will unfold in the middle of the park, with both teams emphasizing defensive organization over attacking flair in the final third.
Similar to the Panama match—and throughout most of late 2025—don't expect El Tri to suddenly transform into an offensive powerhouse. These players have had limited training time together, making some inconsistencies along the way perfectly reasonable.
However, Mexico possesses sufficient talent from midfield upward to trouble a Bolivia team missing its top performers. It will undoubtedly be a challenging contest, but one Mexico should manage to win.
Score Prediction: Bolivia 0–1 Mexico