Ochoa's chance, Álvarez at centre-back and Obed Vargas' wait

Mexico have already secured first place in the group, but Javier Aguirre still faces key decisions ahead of the match with Czechia. Aguirre's World Cup résumé is extensive — involved in four tournaments with Mexico as a player in 1986, an assistant in 1994 and manager in 2002 and 2010 — and he has stressed that "finishing as group leader today, like in 2002, is anecdotal." For Mexico to make a significant jump in the rankings, they will likely need to progress deep into the tournament, as they did in 1986.

This is the first opportunity Aguirre has had to manage the squad with some breathing room, but he is unlikely to treat the game as a full experiment. Only four players have yet to see minutes at this World Cup: Guillermo Ochoa, Carlos Acevedo, Guillermo Martínez and Mateo Chávez.

The most likely approach is measured rotation — fresh legs in midfield and minutes for those who need rhythm while keeping enough of the core to preserve the team's structure.

Mexico

javier aguirre, mexico, world cup, czechia, guillermo ochoa, obed vargas, álvarez, carlos acevedo, guillermo martínez, rotation