Former Mexican national team coach Miguel "Piojo" Herrera was direct in analyzing one of the most sensitive issues for El Tri fans: the rivalry with Argentina. Faced with the possibility of both teams facing each other in an international friendly in October, the current Costa Rica coach assured that the competition is more a matter of Mexican pride than any real interest from the Albiceleste side.

"The rivalry is between Mexico and Argentina, let's be honest. That rivalry grew because we want to beat them, because they are a world power. They don't even look at us; "It's the reality, I'm not going to fool anyone. Argentina is looking to beat Brazil, Germany, Holland, France, Spain...," he declared in an interview with journalist Rodrigo Rea. The statement comes amid expectations for the possible duel between October 6 and 14, which has not yet been officially confirmed. The most recent precedent is the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Argentina won 2-0 in the group stage with goals from Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez, a result that extended a historic series favorable to the South Americans.

A history marked by the superiority of the Albiceleste

Herrera, who led El Tri between 2013 and 2015, recalled that Mexico has suffered key defeats against Argentina: the round of 16 in Germany 2006 and South Africa 2010, the final of the 1993 Copa America and the semifinal of the continental tournament in 2007, where Messi scored a goal that will remain etched in the memory of the fans. "We're a step below: we haven't even been able to reach a World Cup semi-final," he acknowledged. His time on the national team's bench included qualifying for Brazil 2014 after beating New Zealand in the playoffs and winning the 2015 Gold Cup against the United States. However, the coach made it clear that, Beyond the passion with which Mexico experiences each match against Argentina, the true priority for the world champions is to measure their strength against other historic powers.