CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA — Jorge Sánchez gave Mexico the lead with a close-range finish from a corner before Dodi Lukébakio's stunning equalizer on the stroke of half-time earned Belgium a 1-1 draw in an entertaining international friendly at Soldier Field in Chicago. The teams shared possession almost equally across 90 minutes, producing a contest that ebbed and flowed without ever fully igniting — yet still delivered genuine moments of quality that kept the crowd engaged throughout.
Mexico made the brighter start and were rewarded in the 19th minute when Sánchez pounced from very close range following a corner, guiding a left-footed shot to the bottom right corner to beat Matz Sels and hand El Tri the advantage. It was a composed, instinctive finish — the kind that comes from a player alive to the moment inside a crowded penalty area. The goal gave Mexico a platform to build on, and for the next 20 minutes they looked capable of extending their lead, with Julián Quiñones — already booked in the 11th minute for a foul — causing problems in behind the Belgian defensive line.
Belgium, however, refused to be rattled. Youri Tielemans was the architect of the equalizer, threading a precise delivery to Lukébakio just before the half-time whistle. The winger needed no second invitation, rifling a left-footed shot from outside the box that arrowed into the top left corner, leaving the Mexican goalkeeper with absolutely no chance. It was a goal of real quality — the kind that changes the complexion of a match entirely — and Belgium walked into the dressing room level at 1-1, having recovered from a position of deficit with composure and clinical precision.
The second half brought a flurry of tactical changes from both benches. Belgium made five substitutions simultaneously in the 63rd minute, introducing Charles De Ketelaere, Amadou Onana, Thomas Meunier, Nicolas Raskin, and Jérémy Doku in a sweeping overhaul. Mexico responded just minutes later, sending on Armando González, Israel Reyes, Alexis Vega, Roberto Alvarado, and Obed Vargas in a similarly wholesale reshuffle. The changes disrupted the rhythm of the contest, as they often do in friendly matches, but both sides continued to probe for a winner. Brian Gutiérrez showed sharp awareness to set up Quiñones for a chance that Sels gathered comfortably in the centre of the goal — a moment that summed up Mexico's inability to convert their opportunities into a lead.
The statistics reflected the tight nature of the contest. Possession was split at a perfectly even 50%-50%, underlining just how evenly matched these two sides were across the 90 minutes. Belgium edged the goalkeeping ledger, with Sels making 2 saves to Mexico's 1, though neither goalkeeper was truly tested to their limits. The card count told its own story of a physical encounter — Timothy Castagne was booked in the 39th minute for a bad foul, Sánchez collected a second yellow in the 64th minute before being replaced, Maxim De Cuyper was cautioned in the 68th minute, and Arthur Theate was shown a yellow just three minutes after coming on as a substitute in the 75th minute. Six bookings across the match underlined the competitive edge that ran beneath the friendly's surface.
Kevin De Bruyne's withdrawal in the 72nd minute, replaced by Joaquin Seys, signaled that Belgium were managing their key assets carefully, while Mexico's decision to remove the influential Sánchez — despite his goal — after his second booking reflected the pragmatic thinking that often governs these pre-tournament fixtures.
Mexico next host South Africa on June 11, while Belgium return home to face Egypt on June 15. Both squads will carry useful minutes and tactical information from this Chicago encounter into those upcoming tests.
