The Mexican team said goodbye to the 2026 FIFA World Cup this Sunday, losing 2-3 to its counterpart from England, which meant its first defeat at home in a World Cup and only the third in an official match in the 60-year history of the Azteca Stadium.

The team led by Javier Aguirre had a brave reaction on two occasions and fought until the last minute, but between fateful errors at key moments, the timely interventions of the English goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, and, above all, their lack of resources, they ended up condemned to a painful elimination in the round of 16 of 'their' World Cup.

The Mexican fans, who upon arriving at the 'Colossus of Santa Úrsula' found a Mexican flag in their seats to support their team and give a colorful appearance to the effervescent atmosphere, ended up frustrated by the result and uttering the homophobic cry, which could bring a financial sanction to the Mexican Soccer Federation.

The cold and rainy night south of Mexico City, more similar to a typical London day, was the only thing the English had going for them, since the momentum of around five thousand of their followers, even when the music of 'Oasis' and other British groups played, was buried by the loud booing of the local fans.

Strategy change

Unlike the match against Ecuador, this time El Tri did not come out with the high pressure or intensity that they printed in those first 15 minutes, something that the English coach, Thomas Tuchel, expected. Aguirre gave the ball to the visitors and ordered his pupils within his midfield, looking to recover and then launch a counterattack.

At 13' the alarms went off in the Tricolor, when Bukayo Saka beat César Montes. The English winger did not control the ball, which arrived gently into the hands of Raúl Rangel, but doubts arose about a possible muscle injury to the Mexican center back, which forced Édson Álvarez to warm up.

Two minutes later, the green team warned for the first time. Roberto Alvarado crossed from the right and Raúl Jiménez dove in to head in, but Jordan Pickford took the shot down close to the left post, a save that, in all proportions, reminded us of that of his colleague and compatriot, Gordon Banks, to 'Pelé' at the Jalisco Stadium, in the 1970 Mexico World Cup.

From then on, Tricolor took the ball and began to pressure their rival, but in a quick exit, the 'Three Lions' took advantage.

When he got hold of the ball, Declan Rice advanced at speed and opened up Saka on the right wing, who overtook Jesús Gallardo and put the center into the area upon the arrival of Jude Bellingham, who dived to head in and score the 0-1 by beating Jorge Sánchez, at 36'.

El Tri had not yet assimilated the blow, when he received another even harder one. A loss of the ball by Gilberto Mora caused a wall between Bellingham and Harry Kane, who until then had not touched the ball, and the Real Madrid player swept into the heart of the area to beat the pair of Mexican centre-backs and make it 0-2 at 38'.

Furious reaction

Far from collapsing, both the Mexican fans and players stuck out their chests. Encouraged by the cry of 'Yes we can!', the locals responded and got on the scoreboard.

'Piojo' Alvarado sent a free kick into the area, the ball was poorly cleared by Ezri Konsa and Julián Quiñones finished off with power to make it 1-2 at 42', before the excitement of Azteca.

Mexico pushed hard before the break and was close to a tie. First at 45 1′, when Quiñones chested the ball to Raúl, who crossed his shot and brushed past Pickford's left post.

Two minutes later, Alvarado again, now from the right wing, put a measured cross to Jiménez, whose header was deflected by Pickford with a turned hand in another great save.

Still in the corner kick that resulted from that play, Raúl again won a header in the area and the ball reached Montes, who in front of the goal was unable to control it and the English defense cleared it, saving themselves from what seemed like 2-2.

Drama after the break

After passing through the locker room, El Tri got a scare when, at 49', a left-footed shot by Nico O'Reilly deflected behind and hit the post; However, a minute later the panorama changed radically.

Jarrel Quansah made a very harsh tackle on Gallardo and, after a VAR review, the referee, the Australian Alireza Faghani, sent off the English full-back.

But when the possibility of a tie was palpable in the atmosphere, at 58', in a shot, Kane beat Edson Álvarez, who had entered for Montes, and headed the ball to Anthony Gordon, who was knocked down in the area by 'Tala'.

Kane scored in a masterful manner and with his fifth goal of the tournament he made it 3-1, but the same Bayern Munich striker put El Tri back into the match at 65', when trying to clear a ball in the area he hit the foot of the recently introduced Brian Gutiérrez, for which, after being notified by the VAR, Faghani reviewed the play and declared a penalty.

Raúl Jiménez took the ball and waited until the last moment to charge to Pickford's right to make it 2-3. It was the seventh goal that Tepeji del Río's 'Lobo' scored against Pickford, whom he scored five times in the Premier League with Wolverhampton and one more with Fulham.

After the hydration break, Mexico cornered the English team practically in their area, but it was then that the lack of resources and creativity of a team that functions solidly as a block, but that lacks individual talent to unbalance a match of this magnitude, became evident, especially with Mora already on the bench.

With 10 minutes remaining, 'Vasco' put all his effort into bringing on Guillermo Martínez in search of finishing off one of the repeated aerial crosses into the English area. Thus, he ended up playing with three center forwards, along with Santiago Giménez and Raúl, but this abuse of balls from above, combined with the lack of mobility of the attackers, facilitated the work of the English defense, despite the fact that by then the 10 visiting players were already showing the effect of the 2,240 meters above sea level of the Azteca Stadium.

Still in the penultimate cross into the Mexico area, the British defense was about to score an own goal, but the ball went past Pickford's goal and there the Tricolor's last hope died.

Mexico concludes a participation that is in any case historic, after winning its three group stage matches for the first time in 18 World Cup participations, in addition to triumphing again in a second round game 40 years later, with a 2-0 victory over Ecuador.

There is also a record of 396 minutes with a clean sheet, of which all but 12 — those played by Guillermo Ochoa against the Czech Republic — are credited to 'Tala' Rangel.

England, which confirmed its historical dominance over the Mexican team, which it has now beaten seven times, in exchange for a draw and only two tricolor wins in official duels, heads to Miami, where it will face Norway for a ticket to the semifinals.