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Unlike most national teams around the world, Mexico typically plays its "home matches" on foreign territory, specifically just across the border in the United States.
Another perspective on this situation is that, unlike the majority of national sides, El Tri has, in the words of a former commissioner of Mexico's soccer federation, "two homes."
Since the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, El Tri has played a total of 57 matches. Of those, 39 have taken place on U.S. soil and just 10 in Mexico.
Those figures are heavily influenced by official tournaments such as the Gold Cup and Concacaf Nations League, which are held exclusively in the United States. However, looking solely at the 27 international friendlies Mexico has played during that same period, the breakdown is 18 matches in the U.S. and only seven on Mexican soil.
Among those friendlies held in Mexico was a goalless draw against Uruguay in November 2025, during which supporters were hostile toward their own national side. The reception in Torreón, Mexico, led Mexico's star forward Raul Jiménez to remark: "Maybe that's why they always take us to the United States."
Jiménez's comment was undeniably provocative but also far from accurate. There is a concrete reason why the United States has become the de facto home of the Mexico national team, and it has nothing to do with unfriendly receptions from fans on home turf.
The Reason Why the Mexico National Team Plays Most of its Games on U.S. Soil
The reason most of El Tri's matches are played in the U.S. boils down to a single factor: money. In fact, Mexico is contractually bound to play at least six friendly matches in the United States every year.
The Mexican soccer federation has had a longstanding business arrangement with U.S.-based company Soccer United Marketing (SUM) going back to 2003. SUM is responsible for organizing friendly matches for El Tri on American soil.
The original agreement between El Tri and SUM guaranteed five friendly matches per year in the U.S., but following a contract renewal in 2022, that figure increased to six through 2028.
Given that Mexico automatically qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a co-host, El Tri played even fewer matches in Mexico since 2023, as it did not take part in qualifying rounds — where nations are required to host games within their own borders.
When the SUM deal was renewed, then-federation president Yon de Luisa disclosed that revenue generated from U.S. sponsorships through SUM-organized tours (friendly matches) in America accounted for one-third of the federation's annual budget, per El Economista.
The exact amount the federation earns under the new SUM agreement remains undisclosed, but under the previous deal, the federation was guaranteed $2 million per friendly match played in the U.S., according to the Los Angeles Times (via El Financiero).
The federation estimates that approximately 60 million people in the U.S. are El Tri supporters. Despite Mexico being a nation of over 130 million residents, it is simply more financially rewarding for the national team to cater to its fanbase north of the border.