Edson Alvarez absent as Mexico manager Rafa Marquez names first roster - USA Today

As a player, Mexico manager Rafa Marquez was a leader who comfortably played in both the center of a midfield and as the anchor of a back line.

In his first call-up as Mexico manager, he's left off a player who does just that.

Edson Alvarez, the veteran West Ham man who played in all but one of Mexico's World Cup matches, is not present in Marquez's Mexico roster that will play friendly matches against Colombia, Peru, the United States and Chile during the September-October international window.

It has been a tumultuous and, at times, strange year for Alvarez. A mysterious recurring injury put his World Cup at risk, and he ended up staying in London with West Ham despite reports he had signed in the Bundesliga, La Liga and elsewhere.

After the World Cup, he was accused of a kidnapping and extortion plot, with the player coming out to deny the accusations made by Juan José López Ordóñez, who he previously had worked with on a documentary.

Alvarez released a statement last week rejecting the claims and saying he is pursuing legal action against López Ordóñez because of the false accusations.

Erik Lira, another player who despite being much shorter than Alvarez plays at both central midfield and as a center back, is present. Lira saw a lion's share of minutes from manager Javier Aguirre during the 2026 World Cup, with his performances drawing the eye of AS Monaco – though a transfer move to the Ligue 1 club fell through on deadline day.

Lira is joined on the squad by a number of players from Chivas. The Guadalajara side, which fields only Mexican players, sits second in the Liga MX table and was the club that sent the most players to the 2026 World Cup. Six players from the club – World Cup veterans Tala Rangel, Roberto "Piojo" Alvarado and Luis Romo along with three new faces Diego Campillo, Hugo Camberos and Santiago Sandoval – make the list.

Former Chivas forward Armando "Hormiga" Gonzalez, who this week scored his first Europa League goal after a move to Olympiacos, and fullback Mateo Chávez, who scored at the World Cup, are among the Europe-based players included in the team.

So, too, are the members of Mexico's now typical center-back duo Johan Vasquez and Cesar Montes.