MEXICO CITY — Mexico’s coach Javier Aguirre expressed a mix of pride and pain after his team was knocked out of the FIFA World Cup following a 3-2 defeat to England at Estadio Azteca on Sunday night.
“I leave with mixed emotions. I am proud of the family we have built and pleased with our efforts,” Aguirre shared post-match. “It’s hard to move past a loss. Success is often a journey marked by the mistakes we’ve learned from. It’s about persevering through failures until we achieve our goals.”
“Tonight will be difficult for all of Mexico, both in the locker room and at home. We won’t get much sleep. I’m at a loss for words, overcome with emotion. I think this dream ends here.”
Jude Bellingham scored twice for England in a quick flurry at the end of the first half, but Julián Quiñones responded with a goal for Mexico, who had previously not conceded in their first four World Cup matches.
In the second half, both teams were awarded penalties — with Harry Kane converting for England and Raúl Jiménez scoring for Mexico, following a red card issued to England’s Jarell Quansah for a foul on Jesús Gallardo. Despite being a man down, England secured the victory.
“I wanted to say goodbye with a win, for everyone to be pleased,” Aguirre lamented. “It hurts a lot… I’m at a loss for words. There are no excuses; a loss is simply a loss.”
“They scored three goals from just four or five shots, while we had 18 attempts — with six or seven on target. But that doesn’t matter now. We lost. Our opponents were effective and didn’t make mistakes. We wish them the best in the remainder of the tournament.”
Midfielder Eric Lira stated that Mexico played honorably in front of 80,000 fans at Azteca and could leave the World Cup with a sense of pride, albeit not complete satisfaction.
“It’s going to be a difficult night. Honestly, I’ve been proud to be Mexican for a long time — proud to wear this jersey and to belong to this national team, this family. I believe we played with great honor,” Lira remarked after the match. “While I am not satisfied, I do take happiness in what we accomplished.”
“Today, we have planted a seed for the future, and I’m confident that great things await us.”
Assistant coach Rafa Márquez will take over as Mexico’s new manager, following Aguirre’s departure, as part of the succession plan outlined before the tournament.
“I wish them all the best. I hugged Rafa. We came from a challenging situation, competing in the Nations League and Gold Cup with a young squad, many of whom are seeking opportunities in Europe,” Aguirre noted. “I’ll let you be the judge, but I’m pleased with Rafa Márquez’s development and the growth of many of the players. They embodied the heart of Mexico.”
This loss marked just Mexico’s third competitive defeat at the Estadio Azteca, which has hosted matches since 1966, following two prior losses in World Cup qualifiers, against Costa Rica in 2001 and Honduras in 2013.
England will proceed to the World Cup quarterfinals, where they will face Norway in Miami Gardens, Florida.