NEWNow you can listen to Pak Gazette articles!
This was not just a victory. It was a party.
How else could you describe the incredible scenes we saw tonight in Mexico City? A vibrant party of well-being and extreme joy was experienced when the Mexican fans, already comfortable with the fact that their national team had already led Group A and reached the round of 32, saw El Tri emerge victorious with a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
And let me tell you something, this Mexican team is here not only to compete. He wants to make history.
Here are my conclusions:
1. The power of the local crowd is speaking loudly.
The noise in the mythical venue of Mexico City was high, the energy amplified to the maximum. He has made the most of the home game and has fully delivered.
Javier Aguirre made five changes from the team that beat South Korea, which included teenager Gilberto Mora. Later in the match, Guillermo Ochoa even entered the game in the cheer of the stadium, sparking even more celebrations for the Mexican faithful.
Mexico played with more freedom and with the feeling that there was no pressure to achieve a result.
The first goal came thanks to winger Mateo Chávez, 22, who scored his first goal in a World Cup thanks to his first start. It was a great finish with great aggression and composure in the 54th minute from the side. Six minutes later, the locals doubled their advantage thanks to the team’s most dangerous player so far in the tournament: Julián Quiñones. After that, the party continued as Ochoa entered to a strong reception.
“Old!” You could hear it every time the team touched the ball until the end of the game.
And then, in added time, Álvaro Fidalgo signed and delivered, concluding the party with a powerful shot for the 3-0 victory.
2. This is the safest Mexico team I have seen in years
Think about this for a second. Mexico is the only World Cup team that has won all of its games and conceded zero goals. For the first time in history, he achieved a perfect campaign in the first three games.
This is a very strong and resilient Mexican team with one goal: to work hard for everything and win.
Anyone who comes to Mexico City to face El Tri will have a bad time and it won’t just be because of the height.
In preparation for the World Cup, Aguirre created a training program that was extremely demanding because, as a former member of the 1986 team, he wanted to create a team with a mentality of steel. It has worked.
This team is full of self-confidence, something I honestly haven’t been able to say for a long time.
3. Here’s to you, Memo Ochoa
(Photo by Héctor Vivas – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
The match was practically won for Mexico when Aguirre made the best of gestures and introduced the legendary Memo Ochoa in the 78th minute to replace Raúl “Tala” Rangel. One last dance for the iconic stopper who turns 41 six days before the final.
Ochoa is now the seventh player over the age of 40 to participate in this year’s tournament and just for context, according to FotMob, only seven players aged 40 or over had appeared in the previous 22 editions of the World Cup.
And at the height of Mexico City, he took on a confirmed air: he is the first goalkeeper to participate in six editions of the World Cup and joins Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the only three male players to participate in that number of tournaments. Ochoa, an unused substitute in 2006 and 2010, has played in four of the tournaments: in 2014, 2018, 2022 and now 2026.
At the end of the game, Ochoa knelt down and took it all in while his teammates hugged him because everyone knew this would likely be the last time he would play as a professional.
Tremendous moment from a magnificent goalkeeper.
4. The future is bright for Gilberto Mora, 17 years old
(Photo by César Gómez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
At 17 years and 253 days, Mora became the youngest Mexican player to start in a men’s FIFA World Cup and also the sixth youngest starter in World Cup history. He is also the youngest player in this particular tournament.
As for the performance, the young man started slowly, but after the first hydration break he began to get more involved. And in the second half, even more so, making some nice passes that fell a little short for his teammates. But you could see the quality.
You can also see the confidence he possesses on the right side of midfield, as he is able to take on defenders and find the right pass. At 17 years old, it’s tremendously impressive to see someone with so much confidence, especially on world football’s biggest stage.
5. Czechia was a good test for Mexico
Miroslav Koubek’s team lost 2-0, but Czechia proved to be a good opponent because it offered a different type of obstacle than Mexico is used to. He used a five-man defensive line that liked to take advantage of long kicks and set pieces and relied on a powerful 6ft 4in striker, Adam Hložek.
They are also a very direct team and also press, which forces El Tri to play faster, which is exactly what Mexico did in the second half. Whatever lies ahead for the co-host in the round of 32 and hopefully beyond, he now needs to prepare for any type of opponent. And Czechia’s obstinacy is good proof.
Czechia played with a lot of pressure, knowing that victory was essential. They could even have finished runners-up in the group with a victory combined with South Africa’s victory over South Korea. But unfortunately for Czechia, their World Cup was over.
