The CommBank Socceroos and Mexico will cross paths for the second time in less than three years, so let us revisit our previous encounters against El Tri.
Tony Popovic's side will face the Mexicans at the iconic Rose Bowl on Sunday, 31 May AEST in Pasadena, just north of Downtown Los Angeles, as further fine tuning before the FIFA World Cup 2026™ commences two weeks later.
Head-to-head
Played: 6
Wins: 2
Draws: 3
Losses: 1
Current Ranking
Australia: 27
Mexico: 16
1970 | 3-0 loss | International Friendly
Australia first met Mexico in December 1970 at the famous Estadio Azteca. However, the Aussies, coached by the late Rale Rasic, were unfortunately no match for their opponents in front of 25,000 spectators. Ray Richards was also dismissed for throwing the ball into the face of Mexican captain Gustavo Pena with minutes remaining, compounding a frustrating result.
1980 | 2-2 draw | International Friendly
August 1980, saw the Aussies play Mexico twice in quick succession on home soil. First up the Socceroos played in Sydney and were held to a 2-2 stalemate. Ken Boden scored a 57th minute penalty to restore parity after Ricardo Castro's first-half opener. Defender John Yzendoorn then put the hosts in front but Mexico equalised through Jose Luis Gonzalez seven minutes from time.
1980 | 1-1 draw | International Friendly
Melbourne's Olympic Park was the venue just two days later where both sides played out a 1-1 draw. Striker Gary Cole broke the deadlock in the second stanza but Ricardo Castro replied not long after to score in successive matches against the Green and Gold.
1997 | 3-1 win | FIFA Confederations Cup
It would be 17 years before the two teams encountered, with the FIFA Confederations Cup in Saudi Arabia the stage to pit these two nations together again. The Aussies struck on the stroke of half time courtesy of an instinctive, sliding finish from Mark Viduka at the King Fahd Stadium. One-nil became 2-0 on the hour mark when John Aloisi expertly shifted the ball onto his weaker foot before firing past goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez. Luis Hernandez halved the deficit from the penalty spot on 80 minutes, but the result was put beyond doubt when substitute Damian Mori headed home 10 minutes later. The Socceroos would go onto reach the final of the tournament, humbled by Brazil after hat-tricks from Romario and Ronaldo.
2001 | 2-0 win | FIFA Confederations Cup
Four years later and the pair would meet again, this time in the Korea Republic. But Australia once again prevailed with an impressive 2-0 victory over the Central American side. Steve Corica's deep cross found defender Shaun Murphy at the back post to head home and Josip Skoko subsequently doubled the advantage following the interval. Corica turned provider again, desperately feeding the ball to his fellow midfielder, before the then Genk man unleashed a left-footed drive from outside the box. The Aussies would advance to the semi-finals before suffering a 1-0 loss to Japan.
2023 | 2-2 Draw | International Friendly
The two nations would finally meet some 22 years in Arlington, Texas at the home of NFL franchise the Dallas Cowboys. The Aussies hit the front via a set-piece when Martin Boyle's out-swinging corner found the head of Harry Souttar to steer his header low across Guillermo Ochoa on 16 minutes.
In the 54th minute, Mexico were awarded a penalty for a handball and Santiago Gimenez stepped up but saw his penalty crash off the post. Seven minutes later, Boyle, in his first appearance back with the national team in almost a year following a long-term knee injury, then doubled Australia's advantage just after the hour mark. The forward confidently struck a penalty won by Riley McGree after he was tripped. In a commanding position for the final 30 minutes, the Aussies were unable to hold on however. Raul Jimenez replied with a penalty following a foul on Uriel Antuna before a defensive mix up in the 83rd minute allowed Cesar Huerta to duly capitalise and ensure a share of the spoils.
Match Details
Date: Saturday, 30 May 2026 (local) / Sunday 31 May 2026 (Australia)
Venue: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California
Kick-off: 6pm local/11am AEDT (Sunday 31 May)
Tickets: : www.SomosLocales.com
Broadcast: Paramount+