MEXICO CITY, May 13 (Xinhua) -- Mexico will step up its preparations for next year's FIFA World Cup with friendlies against Japan and South Korea in September, the Mexican football federation said on Tuesday.

El Tri will meet Japan at the Oakland Coliseum in California on September 6 and South Korea at an undetermined venue three days later.

"Both matches are part of the coaching staff's strategy to prepare the team for the most important tournament in world football, which will be held in 2026 and will have Mexico as one of the host countries," the federation said in a statement on its official website.

"These matches also offer a valuable opportunity for coach Javier Aguirre to continue evaluating the players and fine-tuning the Mexican national team's playing style against high-caliber international opponents," it added.

The Mexican federation previously announced that the national team would face Switzerland and Turkiye in friendlies during the next FIFA international window in June. The fixtures will also be played in the United States.

Next year's expanded 48-team World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico and will run from June 11 to July 19. ■