Mexico

Mexico is the most decorated men's national team in CONCACAF, with a record haul of Gold Cup titles and a FIFA Confederations Cup triumph in 1999. The national team has played several World Cups, reaching the quarter-finals as hosts in 1970 and 1986. The team is widely known as El Tri or La Verde.

History

Early years

The Mexican Football Federation was founded in 1927 and joined FIFA two years later. The national team played its first official match in 1923 against Guatemala, and Mexico was among the thirteen nations at the inaugural World Cup in Uruguay in 1930. A 6-3 loss to Argentina in the group stage set the tone for a long period in which the side remained a regional competitor without threatening the leading football nations.

Mexico helped establish organised football in North America and has been a constant presence in CONCACAF competition since the confederation was formed. For much of the mid-20th century, however, World Cup qualification proved elusive. The team appeared again in 1950 and 1966 but failed to qualify for several tournaments in between.

1970 World Cup hosts

Mexico became the first nation outside Europe and South America to host the World Cup when it staged the 1970 tournament. Playing before passionate home crowds, El Tri advanced from a group containing the Soviet Union, Belgium and El Salvador. A 4-0 defeat to Italy in the quarter-finals ended the run, but reaching the last eight on home soil remains one of the country's finest achievements in the competition.

The 1970 World Cup is remembered globally for the brilliance of Brazil and Pelé, but it also marked a turning point for football in Mexico. The tournament drew huge attendances, introduced the first officially sponsored World Cup ball, and showed that the country could stage a major global event.

1986 and the Sánchez era

Sixteen years later, Mexico hosted the World Cup for a second time after Colombia withdrew as original host. Despite the devastation of the 1985 earthquake in Mexico City, the 1986 tournament went ahead as planned. A squad inspired by Hugo Sánchez again reached the quarter-finals, defeating Bulgaria in the round of 16 before losing to West Germany on penalties.

That summer belonged to Diego Maradona and Argentina, yet Mexico's performances confirmed the team as a serious force in CONCACAF. Domestically, the professional league continued to grow, and Mexican players increasingly moved to leading European clubs.

Round of 16 and regional dominance

After missing the 1990 World Cup, Mexico qualified for every finals from 1994 through 2018. Each campaign ended in the round of 16, a sequence that became known in Mexican football as the curse of the fifth game. Notable moments included a 2-1 win over Germany at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, when Hirving Lozano scored the winner in the opening group match.

On the regional stage, Mexico established itself as the dominant CONCACAF side. The team won the CONCACAF Gold Cup on numerous occasions from the 1990s onward and lifted the FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999 by beating Brazil 4-3 in the final. Rivalry with the United States grew into one of the fiercest fixtures in international football, with both nations regularly contesting Gold Cup finals and World Cup qualifiers.

Recent setbacks and Olympic success

At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Mexico drew with Poland and Saudi Arabia and lost to Argentina, finishing third in the group on goal difference behind Poland. It was the first time since 1978 that El Tri failed to advance from the group stage at a World Cup. The side also lost the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League final to Canada.

There were brighter moments elsewhere. Mexico won the Gold Cup again in 2023 and took Olympic bronze at London 2012 with a team featuring Javier Hernández, Oribe Peralta and Giovani dos Santos. Guardado, Hernández and others from that generation carried the national team deep into the 2010s before a new squad began to take shape.

2026 hosts

Mexico was awarded co-host status for the 2026 World Cup together with Canada and the United States. It is the third time the men's tournament is played in Mexico, this time with matches scheduled in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. El Tri was drawn in Group A with South Africa, Korea Republic and Czech Republic, and opened the tournament against South Africa at the Estadio Azteca.

FIFA World Cup results

Mexico has qualified for fourteen World Cups, including the 2026 tournament as co-host (FIFA World Cup qualification not included).

Mexico's performances in the World Cup

Year	Result
2026	Hosts
2022	Group Stage
2018	Round of 16
2014	Round of 16
2010	Round of 16
2006	Round of 16
2002	Round of 16
1998	Round of 16
1994	Round of 16
1990	Not qualified
1986*	Quarter-finals
1982	Not qualified
1978	Not qualified
1974	Not qualified
1970*	Quarter-finals
1966	Group Stage
1962	Not qualified
1958	Not qualified
1954	Not qualified
1950	Group Stage
1938	Declined to participate
1934	Not qualified
1930	Group Stage

* Host nation

By Anthony Ingle

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_national_football_team
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_at_the_FIFA_World_Cup
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_at_the_CONCACAF_Gold_Cup