"Chicharito" Hernández and Vela will not go to the World Cup with Mexico, confirms 'Tata' Martino

Chicharito Hernández: I would love to go to the World Cup in Qatar 2:01

(Reuters) -

The technical director of the Mexican soccer team, Argentine Gerardo "Tata" Martino, definitively ruled out calling Javier "Chicharito" Hernández and Carlos Vela for the World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday despite the good level that both players have shown in their clubs.

The "Tri" -as the Mexicans call their national team- will face the representatives of Peru and Colombia on September 24 and 27 in the last preparation matches before Martino defines the squad for the World Cup that begins on November 20.

"In the case of Carlos Vela, he told me about three and a half years ago that he preferred not to be called up to the Mexico team and that has not changed. In the case of Javier Hernández, I have simply defined myself by other center forwards," Martino said at a press conference.

Vela, who plays for the United States Major League Soccer (MLS) Los Angeles club, played in the 2010 and 2018 World Cups;

while Hernández, who plays for the MLS LA Galaxy, played in the 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups, he is also the top scorer for the Mexican team.

Carlos Vela: It would be unforgivable to try to get into the national team now 0:44

For the matches against Peru and Colombia, Martino called 31 players, and it is expected that the final call of 26 players will come out of that list to represent Mexico in Qatar.

"Being the last call, there are more chances that the final list will come from here, but I don't want to take away opportunities from the players who are outside. We will try to choose the 26 who are closest to a football idea and who we understand can give us an answer in a World Cup, and I am clear that I am going to be unfair," said Martino.

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"I haven't talked to any of them particularly about their guaranteed presence in the World Cup. There are a few days left for the final list to be designated and the logical thing is to have more certainties than doubts," he said.

In the World Cup, Mexico will integrate Group C where it will debut on November 22 against Poland, four days later it will face Argentina and will finish the first phase against Saudi Arabia on November 30.

Mexico soccer team