Mexico Makes History with Perfect Group Stage
Mexico defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night in Mexico City, securing a historic perfect group-stage record for the first time in the nation's World Cup history. The victory at Estadio Azteca, which hosted 80,824 spectators, allowed El Tri to win all three matches in Group A.
Second-Half Surge Seals Victory
Mateo Chávez and Julián Quiñones scored within six minutes early in the second half to break the deadlock. The 22-year-old Chávez, making his World Cup debut, opened the scoring in the 55th minute. Quiñones added his second goal of the tournament in the 61st minute. Álvaro Fidalgo capped the win with a stoppage-time goal.
Mexico's previous best group-stage performance was two wins and one draw, achieved in 1986 and 2002. Both campaigns featured Javier Aguirre—first as a midfielder, then as coach. Aguirre is now in his third stint as head coach.
Historic Milestones and Record Crowd
The match highlighted both past and future of Mexican football. Gilberto Mora, at 17, became the youngest Mexican to start a World Cup match. Goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered in the 77th minute, becoming the third player after Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to appear in six World Cups. Ochoa, 40, is the oldest Mexican to play in the tournament, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco (37 in 2014). He is expected to retire from international football after the World Cup.
Mexico remains undefeated in nine World Cup matches at Estadio Azteca, with only two losses in all competitions at the venue—the most recent a 2013 qualifier against Honduras.
Homophobic Chant Returns
The victory was marred by the resurgence of a homophobic chant directed at Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar during the first half. The chant has previously led to fines and sanctions against the Mexican Football Federation.
Czech Republic Eliminated
The Czech Republic finished Group A with one point and was eliminated. Mexico extended its unbeaten run to 11 matches, dating to a friendly loss against Panama in November 2025. Coach Aguirre has utilized 25 of 26 players in the tournament. Chávez was one of five starters who did not start the previous 1-0 win over South Korea.
Mexico will play a round-of-32 match at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday against an opponent to be determined.
