Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera smiles during a news conference after a practice session in Mexico City May 21, 2014. Mexico will play an international friendly match against Israel on May 28 in Mexico City.
Mexico's coach Miguel Herrera smiles during a news conference after a practice session in Mexico City May 21, 2014. Mexico will play an international friendly match against Israel on May 28 in Mexico City. REUTERS

The men’s soccer national team of Mexico will either be much focused or very bored in their trip to Brazil for the 2014 World Cup owing to the rule by its manager Miguel Herrera banning sex during the competition.

"No, no one," Herrera said to Mexico-based newspaper Reforma. "If a player can't go one month or 20 days without having sexual relations, then they are not prepared to be a professional player. All the players we have selected have a pretty good resume, they all have won great things, they have been champions and obviously, they know what they want to achieve."

"I am not thinking about prohibiting sex. I am thinking about football. I hope the players are thinking the same way," added the 46-year-old Herrera. "Forty days of sexual abstinence is not going to hurt anyone."

Herrera emphasized the fact that they came to Brazil “to rise above and do something really great” and that 100 per cent of the focus should be on the matches.

Mexico will play Croatia, Cameroon and hosts Brazil in the group stages in the most popular soccer tournament in the world. The home country is favoured to Group A with the other three teams pegged to slug out the final slot to advance to the next round.

“In a club, you lose one week and you get a second chance the next week. But on a national team, you lose once and you are out of the World Cup."

Herrera named 23 players to the squad:

Goalkeepers: Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Alfredo Talavera (Toluca), Guillermo Ochoa (AC Ajaccio/FRA)

Defenders: Paul Aguilar, Miguel Layun (both Club America), Hector Moreno (Espanyol/ESP), Diego Reyes (FC Porto/POR), Francisco Rodriguez (Club America), Rafael Marquez (Leon), Carlos Salcido (Tigres)

Midfielders: Hector Herrera (FC Porto/POR), Jose Juan Vazquez (Leon), Juan Carlos Medina (Club America), Carlos Pena (Leon), Isaac Brizuela (Toluca), Luis Montes (Leon), Marco Fabian (Cruz Azul), Andres Guardado (Bayer Leverkusen/GER)

Forwards: Oribe Peralta (Santos Laguna), Javier Hernandez (Manchester United/ENG), Raul Jimenez
(Club America), Alan Pulido (Tigres), Giovani dos Santos (Villarreal/ESP)

All 23 will have no sex in Brazil if everyone follows Herrera’s latest team policy.