MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s dire performance at the last World Cup in Qatar served as a wake-up call for this year’s event. The message was clear: El Tri needed new players if it wanted a different ending on home soil in 2026.
Four years after the national soccer team’s disappointing group-stage exit — Mexico’s earliest World Cup finish since 1978 — coach Javier Aguirre’s youthful gamble is already showing promise.
El Tri opened this year’s tournament with a convincing 2-0 victory over South Africa, fielding seven players who were making their World Cup debuts — including forward Julián Quiñones, who scored the first goal in only the ninth minute of the match.
“We worked hard on our mental game so the size of the stage wouldn’t affect us, and we were able to get off to a good start,” said midfielder Erik Lira, another player making his debut on soccer’s biggest stage.
The 26-year-old Lira played a crucial role in the victory, forcing a key turnover that directly led to Mexico’s first goal.
In addition to Quiñones and Lira, Aguirre handed World Cup debuts to Álvaro Fidalgo, Raúl Rangel, Israel Reyes, Brian Gutiérrez, Armando González and teenage sensation Gilberto Mora. Defender Johan Vásquez, who traveled to Qatar but didn’t see any playing time, also made his tournament debut.
“It’s the happiest day of my life. From the moment we walked out of the tunnel, Mateo (Chávez) and I felt like crying,” said González, who came on as a second-half substitute. “You dream about it as a kid, you imagine it, you see it on TV, but to actually make your debut is incredible.”
Fidalgo, a Spanish-born playmaker who became a naturalized Mexican citizen earlier this year, echoed that pride.
“I can’t describe it, maybe I’ll be able to in a while. I don’t think I’m fully aware of it yet,” Fidalgo said. “I’m just happy to be playing my first World Cup match, and to do it with Mexico is a source of pride and an honor. From here on out, we’re on the upswing.”
With this rejuvenated core, Mexico will target a second victory when the team faces South Korea on Thursday in Guadalajara. The Mexicans currently lead Group A on goal difference over the South Koreans, who opened their tournament with a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic.
A victory would virtually guarantee El Tri’s passage to the knockout rounds, helping erase the bitter memory of the early exit in Qatar. It would also fuel hopes of emulating Mexico’s best-ever World Cup performances — reaching the quarterfinals, a feat achieved as hosts in 1970 and 1986.
Despite the mounting excitement, the team is keeping its feet on the ground, especially with two knockout matches to play before the quarterfinals in this year’s expanded 48-team World Cup.
“We can’t think about playing a sixth match (the quarterfinals) without even playing the second,” Lira said. “We’re taking it one step at a time, but we want to make it clear that our ambitions are very high and that we won’t settle for anything less.”
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
Carlos Rodriguez, The Associated Press
