Mexico defeated the Czech Republic 3-0 on Wednesday night in Mexico City, securing a perfect record in Group A of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This marks the first time in Mexico's history that they have won all three group-stage matches in a World Cup tournament.
Match Highlights and Key Goals
The breakthrough came in the 55th minute when 22-year-old Mateo Chávez, making his World Cup debut, opened the scoring. Just six minutes later, Julián Quiñones doubled the lead with his second goal of the tournament. Alvaro Fidalgo added a third goal in second-half stoppage time to seal the comprehensive victory.
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 and later as coach. Aguirre is back for his third stint as head coach this year.
Historic Moments and Records
The match included significant milestones for Mexico. Gilberto Mora, at age 17, became the youngest Mexican player to start a World Cup match. Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa entered the game in the 77th minute, becoming one of only three players—alongside Argentina's Lionel Messi and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo—to appear in six different World Cups.
Ochoa, who turns 41 on July 13, is likely making his final World Cup appearance. He has said he plans to retire from international competition after the tournament. Ochoa was a substitute in 2006 and 2010, and started for Mexico in 2014, 2018, and 2022. He replaced starter Raúl Rangel, who stepped in for the injured Luis Ángel Malagón.
Ochoa also became the oldest Mexican to play in a World Cup, surpassing Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who was 37 when he played in 2014.
Group A Standings and Next Match
Already assured of winning Group A, Mexico will play a round-of-32 match at Estadio Azteca on Tuesday against an opponent yet to be determined. Mexico is undefeated in nine World Cup matches at the stadium, which was packed with 80,824 fans on Wednesday. El Tri has only two losses at Azteca, the most recent in World Cup qualifying against Honduras on Sept. 6, 2013.
The Czech Republic was eliminated from the tournament, finishing with just one point from three games.
Homophobic Chant Incident
Mexico's victory was marred by the return of a homophobic chant from fans, which has previously led to fines and sanctions against the Mexican soccer federation. The chant, a one-word slur meaning male prostitute in Spanish, was heard near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.
Team Form and Roster Depth
Mexico is unbeaten in 11 games dating back to a friendly loss against Panama last November. Coach Aguirre has utilized 25 of his 26 players in the tournament, demonstrating squad depth. Chávez was one of five starters on Wednesday who did not start the previous match, a 1-0 win over South Korea.
