After a 14-year absence, the Mexican men’s national soccer team is returning to Guadalajara. On October 15, El Tri will face their closest regional rival, the United States, at the Akron Stadium in the city.

The match is billed — in soccer parlance — as a “friendly,” meaning it’s not part of an official competition. In reality, it is unlikely to be anything but friendly given the long-standing animosity between the two nations on the soccer field.

The countries have met 77 times, with Mexico leading the series 36 to 24, while 17 games have ended in ties.  But for a nation with such a proud soccer heritage, Mexico has struggled to understand why its historic dominance in these encounters has waned in recent years. Since 2020, the U.S. national team has faced Mexico seven times, winning five and tying two.   Not only the players, but Mexican fans will be desperate to end this run of embarrassing results on October 15.   

Tickets for the game went on sale on August 20 exclusively for clients of the Banorte bank, the official sponsor of the Mexican national team, on the boletomovil website. Tickets will be available for everyone else on the same platform, and at the Akron Stadium box office, from August 28.  They are likely to sell quickly. Tickets cost from 500 to 3,000 pesos.