Mexico
Mexico expects in Brazil but are the team capable of reaching the knock-out phase?

Manager: Miguel Herrera

World Ranking: 20

Best World Cup finish: Quarter-final – 1970, 1986

How they qualified: Beat New Zealand 9-3 on aggregate in the intercontinental play-off.

Fixtures: Group A – Cameroon (13 June), Brazil (17 June), Croatia (23 June)

Squad –

Goalkeepers: Jose de Jesus Corona, Guillermo Ochoa, Alfredo Talavera.

Defenders: Miguel Layun, Carlos Salcido, Paul Aguilar, Andres Guardado, Hector Moreno, Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Diego Reyes, Rafael Marquez.

Midfielders: Miguel Angel Ponce, Jose Juan Vazquez, Luis Montes, Hector Herrera, Isaac Brizuela, Marco Fabian, Carlos Pena.

Forwards: Oribe Peralta, Javier Hernandez, Giovani dos Santos, Raul Jimenez, Alan Pulido.

Expectations: Despite demands to progress beyond the round of 16 for the first time since 1986 being at an all-time high, Mexico enter the tournament struggling to convince they can reach the knock-out phase at all. Carlos Vela's self-imposed international exile and manager Herrera's preference to omit his star players from Europe means "El tri" must lower expectations. A poor qualifying campaign coupled with some shaky recent friendly results have done nothing to calm fears despite several of the victorious Olympic squad travelling to Brazil.

Star man: Hector Herrera – The jack of all trades in the Mexican midfield has the capacity to light up the World Cup in Brazil and unseat Javier Hernandez as the nations' sweetheart. An impressive first season with FC Porto has helped enhance his reputation as a genuine box-to-box midfielder with attributes to excel at either end. A graduate from the much-famed Pachuca academy in Mexico, links with Manchester United among others are fully justified.

Prediction: Group stage – Set to be ousted by Croatia in the group stage as Herrera's men fall short of what is anticipated back home.

Mexico World cup Brazil