In Monterrey, the first Mexico squad named by Rafael Márquez has drawn a sharp club dividing line: Rayados have two players selected for the September and October international window, while Tigres have none in the 30-man senior group.
Key takeaways
- Víctor Guzmán and Orbelín Pineda are the two Monterrey representatives in Mexico’s senior squad.
- Tigres have again been left without a player chosen to play for the national team.
- Rafael Márquez’s first call-up mixes 17 members of the 2026 World Cup group with younger contenders for the road to 2030.
- Tigres midfielder Henrique Simeone will train with Mexico, but is not among the players available for the friendlies.
A new Mexico cycle begins without Tigres players
Márquez has begun his tenure with a 30-player selection for the coming FIFA dates, retaining a substantial connection to the group that featured at the 2026 World Cup. Seventeen players from that tournament have been included as Mexico start shaping the next cycle towards 2030.
There is also room for emerging talent. Gilberto Mora, Armando González, Santiago Sandoval and Hugo Camberos are among the newer faces given an opportunity to push for a longer-term place around the national side.
Yet the changing of the coach has not altered Tigres’ situation. No first-team player from the San Nicolás-based club has been picked to take part in the September and October friendlies, while city rivals Rayados send both Guzmán and Pineda into the squad.
Simeone joins training group
Tigres will still have a presence around the Mexico camp through Henrique Simeone. The young midfielder is one of three Under-20 players invited to work alongside the senior side during the sessions.
His role is limited to training and assessment by Márquez’s staff, rather than match involvement. Simeone is therefore the only Tigres representative attached to this opening stage of the new national-team project, but he is not a member of the official 30 selected for the fixtures.
For now, the contrast across Monterrey is clear: two Rayados players have earned senior international places, while Tigres must wait for a later squad announcement to return players to Mexico’s matchday picture.
