Mateo Chávez, 22, arrived at Mexico’s national team camp on the eve of a Wednesday training session intent on one simple goal: to fight Jesús Gallardo for the starting left-back spot ahead of three friendlies and the team’s June 11 World Cup opener.
Chávez made the point with numbers and choices behind him — he played only 37 first-division matches in Mexico before taking a five-year deal with AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, where he finished his first season, endured injuries and scored his first goal for the club against NAC Breda. “Yo admiro mucho y respeto a Jesús, además trato de aprenderle mucho, yo creo que es un gran jugador, pero llegó la competencia que es sana,” Chávez said as he reported to camp.
The competition matters because Gallardo is not an unknown obstacle. He started at left back for Mexico at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and again at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and played a key role in Toluca’s recent league bicampeonato and its run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. Coach Javier Aguirre, who took over in August 2024, now faces a selection that will be shaped in three friendlies before Mexico’s World Cup debut against South Africa on June 11.
Chávez framed his move to Europe as a calculated gamble to accelerate that path. He said repeatedly that he left Mexico to be noticed and to grow: “Yo fui a Europa por buscarme mi lugar aquí, para que me voltearan a ver, para mostrar mi trabajo y yo crecer, creo que me fui a un gran club, pero también es un club formativo.” He added, “Creo que tenía que tomar ese tipo de riesgo,” describing a decision he hoped would turn club minutes into national-team opportunities.
The weight of that gamble is visible. Chávez debuted in Mexico’s Primera División as a 19-year-old in the Clausura 2024 against Santos Laguna, and while he says he participated in “alrededor de 30” matches over the year, his time in the Eredivisie included a shoulder injury that kept him out of March friendlies with Portugal and Belgium. Still, he told staff and teammates he feels match fit: “Dentro de lo que me tocó participar —que no fueron pocos partidos, creo que fueron alrededor de 30 en el año— me siento en el ritmo suficiente.”
That assertion collides with an obvious tension. Gallardo brings World Cup experience and an established claim to the left flank; Chávez brings youth, a European contract and a short-term objective he repeats plainly: to become a starter for Mexico. “Sólo hay una posición en la lateral izquierda y los dos queremos jugar,” Chávez said, acknowledging the zero-sum nature of the fight.
Javier Aguirre’s recent arrival as coach sharpens the choice. Aguirre has the next three friendlies to examine personnel, including Mexico’s match against Ghana in Puebla on Friday, before drawing conclusions that will affect the final roster. Chávez reported to camp the day before training and stressed he was ready to press the case on the field and in training, telling reporters: “Sé que él tiene a experiencia a favor porque tiene dos mundiales, pero yo también quiero hacer mi camino, quiero ganarme mi lugar y creo que tenemos una gran Jesús y yo.”
The practical next step is immediate: minutes. Friendly appearances — and how Chávez performs against established internationals under Aguirre’s watch — will determine whether the 22-year-old’s European leap translates into a World Cup role. For now, Chávez insists his process is clear and personal: “Yo fui a Europa para buscarme mi lugar aquí, para que me voltearan a ver, para mostrar mi trabajo y crecer.” He closed the interview with a reminder of what’s at stake on the left flank: “Sólo hay una posición en la lateral izquierda y los dos queremos jugar.”
