Guatemala City, Jan. 16 - Guatemala will be in the United States today with coach Luis Fernando Tena focused on their first match of 2026 and, in the long term, aiming for revenge for the 2030 World Cup.
The blue and white team will face Canada tomorrow in a friendly at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, which will recall the match held at the end of June 2025 during the Gold Cup, where the Guatemalans triumphed in a penalty shootout.
The coach of the national team brought a blend of youth and experience in a squad trimmed to 20 players, with young Héctor Prillwitz from two-time champion Antigua GFC and Marcelo Hernández from Xelajú FC not making the trip.
This Friday, the team will undergo conditioning training to arrive in the best shape for the match, after only four days of preparation and their last game in November 2025, in the unsuccessful run towards this year’s tournament.
Skilled players Marvín Ávila Jr., who was transferred earlier this November to Brazil’s Sao Paulo FC, and Widvin Tebalán, a left-back or defender with great potential, will likely make their debut with the squad.
During a press conference last Wednesday, Tena acknowledged that being eliminated from the upcoming global event was a hard blow for everyone.
“I think I suffered more because of how the team was growing. Struggling for four years only to fall short is something that still hurts,” he emphasized.
“We decided to stay because we are going for revenge. We never doubted this was our place, that we couldn’t leave, and we had to keep going no matter what,” he stressed.
“Our goal is always to improve, individually and collectively. To seek better players and refine the younger ones, with an emphasis on those with more experience,” the coach elaborated.
“We will gradually make a generational change, combining experienced players with youth,” he argued.
“There is a lot of quality in both groups, and today we look to the future of our national team with great optimism because we have discovered and polished players who give us a very good base with healthy competition,” he affirmed.
“The idea is to get to know them, so they understand our playing style, bond with their teammates, and feel part of the team,” explained the coach.
“We want them to participate in matches, gain minutes, and integrate into the structure we already have,” he emphasized.
He confirmed that his salary was cut down, “no one likes that, but I accept it; I understand there is less income now and there won’t be many matches, but we remain happy.”
“With more or less money, but with the same goal to take things step by step and prepare this team for the competitions we will have until we fight again to qualify for the World Cup,” affirmed the coach.
