The elimination of the Mexican team in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup left an atmosphere of sadness, but also of reflection. After the 2-3 defeat against England, Javier Aguirre, Erik Lira and Johan Vásquez agreed that the team competed face to face against one of the favorites for the title and trusted that the process led by “Vasco” will serve as a basis for the coming years.

Javier Aguirre recognizes the superiority of England

Coach Javier Aguirre praised the level shown by England and acknowledged that his team did everything possible to stay alive in the match played at the Azteca Stadium.

“They are a great team and we did what we could,” concluded the coach, in what may have been his last game in charge of the Mexico team, since Rafael Márquez is announced as his successor.

The strategist compared the demands of the World Cup to the major sports leagues.

“The World Cup is like the big leagues: “You can't make a mistake because it condemns you,” he explained.

“We were wrong”: Aguirre assumes responsibility

For Javier Aguirre, the difference was in the specific errors that his team made against a highly demanding rival.

"We made mistakes three times and we paid dearly; against a Major League rival like England, you have to do everything perfectly and the mistakes eliminated us," he said.

The coach made it clear that he does not hold his players responsible for the elimination: “I can't blame them for anything,” he said.

He also assumed full responsibility for the result: "The dream ends but we are close to the greats. The players win the games, the coaches lose them, so I am responsible for the defeat," he commented.

The end of an era

Aguirre assured that he leaves a solid group for the next process and expressed his support for Rafael Márquez.

"I leave with mixed feelings; proud of the family we built together, but when you lose, you never get over it," he added.

In addition, he highlighted the potential of the national soccer player: “The Mexican player has everything necessary to compete with the elite, we have exported boys to other leagues and we must continue doing so,” he noted.

“I hope he does better than me,” he concluded.

Erik Lira highlights the growth of the Mexico team

Midfielder Erik Lira assured that, beyond the result, the team leaves a project with solid foundations.

"I am not satisfied, but I am happy with what we achieved because we planted a seed that tomorrow we will remember and reap the fruits. I am sure that very good things are coming for us," he said.

The footballer recognized that the lack of concentration ended up being decisive: “We had to play the perfect game and we didn't, there were five minutes in which we lost concentration and that cost us dearly,” he noted.

Lira also highlighted the atmosphere that was built within the squad: "It was a complicated night, but today it fills me with pride to be Mexican, to belong to this team and to wear this shirt. We lost with a lot of honor," he stressed.

"We built something incredible. We formed a family, I see all my colleagues as brothers, I go to war with them and that tells me that we are on the right path. It is a process that from day one to today we improved a lot in operation and forms," ​​he said.

Finally, he thanked the fans for their support: "I think they felt represented and are going home happy, despite the result. Today the 2026 World Cup dream ends. We have set the bar very high and we must overcome this," he concluded.

Johan Vásquez highlights the team's dedication

Defender Johan Vásquez stated that the group leaves calm due to the effort made against one of the title candidates.

"I think that at the end of the day it was everyone's goal. We didn't see it as something unattainable," he said.

The defender regretted that small details changed the course of the game: "There were small details that we could have done better, but what are we going to do? There is no turning back. We are leaving calm because we left everything on the field," he expressed.

He also recognized the quality of the rival: “We lost against a candidate,” he added.

Regarding the talk at half-time, he explained that the team maintained confidence: "They were positive things, that we were close to nothing. In fact, we closed the game almost tied at halftime," he commented.

Finally, he recalled that the penalty in favor of England hit the team emotionally: “The issue of the penalty was a little bad for us mentally, but we were able to get closer again and we were not lucky,” he said.

"We had many arrivals. We are missing a tiny bit of luck," he said.

As a final message, he highlighted the role of the fans during the tournament: "The world realized who Mexico was, either as a player or as a fan. If we are united we can do great things," he stated.