The rivalry between Argentina and Mexico in the World Cups often sparks intense debates, especially on social media. However, for Sergio 'Kun' Aguero, this tension has no real basis. The former player was emphatic in stating that the history between the two national teams does not make El Tri a natural rival of Argentina. Get 20% off UEFA Champions League broadcasts in Spanish on DAZN. “For us, Mexico has never specifically been a rival,” the former striker stated. He explained that the sense of rivalry was fueled by the frequency with which both national teams met in World Cups. This, coupled with media attention, ended up creating a narrative that—from his perspective—does not reflect the true relationship between the two footballing nations. Aguero insisted that repeated encounters generate friction, although not necessarily a real sporting rivalry. “What has happened is that we have faced each other in many World Cups in the group stage or knockout rounds, and that, perhaps, in a World Cup, facing your Latin American neighbor makes you end up being a rival,” he analyzed.

Four World Cup matches and a debate amplified by social media

For Aguero, if Argentina had faced another team from the region, the conversation would be different. “If it had happened that we had faced Colombia several times in many World Cups, we would have a great rivalry with Colombia, in addition to playing in the qualifiers,” he stated. He also added that Mexico's unfavorable record fuels the desire for revenge: "I think the fact that Mexico hasn't beaten Argentina much makes them want to beat Argentina at some point." So far, Argentina has won all four World Cup matches: Uruguay 1930, Germany 2006, South Africa 2010, and Qatar 2022. Across those four matches, Argentina has scored 13 goals, compared to just five for El Tri. For Aguero, this explains much of the intrigue surrounding each encounter.The former striker argued that social media has distorted public perception. “Today, with all the social media hype, it exaggerates a rivalry that isn't really there. Many Argentinians like Mexicans, and many Mexicans like us. Today, with social media and everything that's said, it ends up confusing people and creating an unnecessary fight,” he stated. The conversation about this “false rivalry” resurfaced after the 2022 Qatar World Cup. In that tournament, Argentina defeated Mexico 2-0 with goals from Lionel Messi and Enzo Fernandez, eliminating the Aztecs from the group stage. After the match, a video from the Argentinian locker room sparked controversy: a Mexican jersey appeared on the floor, and social media users accused Messi of disrespecting El Tri. The situation escalated when Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez threatened the Argentinian captain. Aguero, a close friend of Messi, quickly came to his defense. “You probably don’t know anything about football or what goes on in a locker room,” he wrote, explaining that it’s common for jerseys to be left lying around after a match and that there was no intention to offend.