Tension between clubs and the national team is reigniting in Mexican football, and this time the protagonist is Cruz Azul, which would be willing to take a controversial step on the eve of the 2026 World Cup. Victor Velázquez is leading the request. According to information from Diario Marca, the club's board is seriously considering requesting special permission from the Mexican Football Federation not to release their players to the national team during the Clausura 2026 playoffs. The initiative, according to the report, would come directly from the club's president, Victor Velázquez, who seeks to prioritize the team's sporting performance in the most important phase of the tournament. The possible absence of key players like Erik Lira and Carlos Rodríguez would represent a significant blow to the 'cement machine's' aspirations, which would have motivated this stance. It would slow down 'The Machine'. The outlook is complicated. The FMF had previously established an agreement with the Liga MX clubs that players called up to the Mexican national team would integrate with several weeks' notice before the World Cup concentration. This means that the 'big party' will be played without several of the main national figures, a situation that was already known to all institutions for months. Therefore, Cruz Azul's request would not be well received by the governing body of Mexican football, which would hardly break a previously agreed-upon deal. Furthermore, there is a recent precedent that works against them: Chivas attempted a similar management and was not successful. In their case, the impact will be even greater, as Guadalajara is set to be the most affected team by providing at least four players to the national team's final list. Thus, Cruz Azul's attempt opens a new chapter in the dispute between club and national team interests, just at a time when the national priority is to arrive at the World Cup in the best possible conditions. Everything indicates that the FMF will have the final say, but the debate is already on the table.
