It is fair to say that Mexico appear to have something of a curse hanging over them when it comes to their performances at the World Cup.
They have not gone further than the round of 16 in 28 years, but have equally not failed to reach the knockout rounds in that time either - a relatively impressive statistic, most would say.
But there is the sense that they have the potential for much more, and with their group consisting of Argentina, Saudi Arabia and Poland, they will certainly be hoping to at least make it out of Group C.
An opening game against Poland provides a fairly tricky start, before they face arguably their toughest test against Lionel Messi and Argentina, rounding off their group stage campaign playing Saudi Arabia.
Qualification Path
It is well known that CONCACAF's qualification process for the World Cup is one of the most gruelling, with just three guaranteed slots available for the 34 teams in the entire confederation, as well as one play-off spot.
Fortunately for Mexico, they were able to skip the first two rounds of the process, being one of the top five FIFA-ranked sides in their confederation, but it did still require them to play no fewer than 14 matches.
They took place across a period of seven months, in which a group of eight teams played one another home and away, creating a final table, where the top three nations then qualify directly to the final tournament.
Mexico finished in second place, only behind first place Canada on goal difference, losing just two of their 14 games, to the aforementioned Canada and the United States respectively.
Key Moments in History
As referenced a little earlier, Mexico have had a somewhat frustrating relationship with the World Cup in recent history, losing in the round of 16 in every single tournament since 1994.
Prior to that, their best ever performances have both come when they have been hosts of the tournament, in 1970 and 1986, when on both occasion they reached the quarter finals before bowing out.
That said, in 1970 there was no round of 16, meaning 1986 remains their statistically best performance, as they went out to West Germany - the eventual runners up - on penalties after a 0-0 draw across 120 minutes.
Outside of the World Cup however, they have been more successful in getting deeper into competitions, being the most successful country in the CONCACAF region, winning 11 confederation titles (three Gold Cups and eight of the previous version, known as the CONCACAF Championship).
Their most recent silverware came in 2019, when they won the Gold Cup agains the United States, thanks to a Jonathan dos Santos goal in the final, hosted in Chicago.
Player to Watch
It may not have been the most exciting past few years in the history of Mexican football, but their squad does still contain plenty of exciting players, not least the man nicknamed 'Chucky', Hirving Lozano.
The 27-year-old has plied his trade at three different clubs during his career - Pachuca, PSV and, as of now, Napoli - and he has been a threat in front of goal at all of them.
His reputation in Europe may have gone somewhat under the radar in recent years, owing to a lack of appearances in the 2019-20 season, and some subpar performances in the following two campaigns, but his performances for his national team supersede temporary club form.
A popular figure back home, he has notched 16 goals in 59 appearances for El Tri, including a famous strike against Germany at the 2018 World Cup, when the Central American side beat the then-World Champions in their opening game.
How he fares at the upcoming tournament remains to be seen, but if anyone can inject some life into a somewhat faltering side managed by Gerardo Martino, it is Lozano.
Expected Lineup
Ochoa; Sanchez, Araujo, Montes, Gallardo; Rodriguez, Alvarez, Guardado; Lozano, Martin, Vega
Will the Round of 16 curse be broken?
It has become something of a joke amongst Mexicans that their fate for the World Cup has already been sealed before they even kick a ball - it will be, as usual, a round of 16 exit, likely after finishing second in the group.
Whether ironic or not, the pattern is certainly there, and it does not make for particularly pleasant reading for Mexico fans, with their progress every four years seemingly always having been written ahead of time.
Confidence is lower than it has been for some time too; whilst Gerardo Martino did get off to a strong start as manager by winning the 2019 Gold Cup, it has been mediocre ever since, with qualification for the World Cup requiring tight wins against sides they really ought to have beaten by a greater margin.
For that reason, the biggest talking point surrounding the Mexican team's obsession with exiting at the round of 16 appears not to be whether they will go further, but whether they will even get that far at all.
Prediction
In truth, this ought to be one of the easiest predictions possible - it will be the same as it always has been.
But really, it does not seem as simple as that, at least not when you dig a little deeper into the dynamics of the Mexico national team heading into this year's tournament.
Morale seems to be low, albeit not catastrophically so, with a far more apathetic attitude to the side being presented by fans, who have a global reputation for travelling in great numbers to major tournaments.
Getting through the group will be no easy task - Argentina are the obvious favourites for first place, and Saudi Arabia are expected to prop up the table at the bottom, but splitting Mexico and Poland is a tough choice.
It could then come down to both team's opening game in Qatar, on Tuesday 22 November, as to who gets through to the knockout rounds; from then onwards, it may depend heavily on who they face in the round of 16.
For that reason, predicting how Mexico will do at this World Cup is a near-impossible task, but if it is a disappointing showing, at least they know that in four years' time they will be hosts again - and that usually brings success.