MEXICO CITY (AP) 鈥� For nearly a month, millions of Mexicans allowed themselves to believe this would be historic.
They dared bigger and brighter dreams as the national team racked up win after win in fortress Azteca.
Then they woke up to a cruel reality on Monday morning: The World Cup was marching on without Mexico. The team in a round-of-16 thriller on Sunday night and officially disbanded in the morning.
Supporters reluctantly returned to their daily routines, their team no longer a contender and their country no longer a host in a tournament running for another two weeks across the United States.
鈥淚t鈥檚 painful because we dreamed and had high hopes, and crashing out like this hurts a lot,鈥� Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said. 鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 meant to be … we couldn鈥檛 seal the deal and give the people another night of joy.鈥�
The weight of history
Mexico staged the opening ceremony and first match on June 11 for a . South Korea was beaten 1鈥�0, the Czech Republic 3鈥�0, and Ecuador 2鈥�0 in the round of 32 for Mexico’s first knockout stage success in 40 years.
But they stumbled in the round of 16 for the eighth time in the last nine World Cups. The sole exception was 2022 in Qatar, where El Tri failed to survive the group stage.
鈥淏reaking through that barrier isn鈥檛 as easy as everyone thinks, but we鈥檙e on the right track,鈥� midfielder Erik Lira said. 鈥淭his time was different because we were playing as one of the best teams out there; we鈥檙e leaving with our heads held high.鈥�
But unlike previous heartbreaks 鈥� late-game collapses against Germany in 1998 and the Netherlands in 2014 and the penalty shootout disaster against Bulgaria in 1994 鈥� this exit was on home soil with every advantage.
Mexico was riding a wave of four consecutive clean-sheet victories. Estadio Azteca was fiercely partisan. And Mexico City’s altitude was expected to hamper an unacclimatized England squad. Then a red card left England playing a man short for most of the second half.
But Mexico couldn鈥檛 capitalize.
鈥淟osing didn鈥檛 hurt so much just because it was England; it hurt because this time it really seemed possible to go further,鈥� said Eduardo Ju谩rez, a 63-year-old retiree still wearing his green jersey on Monday. 鈥淲e had a great team and high hopes but now it鈥檚 over.鈥�
On Monday morning, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum used her daily press conference to offer words of comfort to the country.
鈥淭hey played very, very well, and the moment Mexico is experiencing is one of great pride, hope, and unity,鈥� Sheinbaum said. 鈥淲e need to keep our spirits up, acknowledge the effort, and move forward.鈥�
What鈥檚 next for El Tri?
With Mexico’s run over, Aguirre鈥檚 contract has expired. According to the federation鈥檚 original roadmap, his assistant coach 鈥� Barcelona great Rafael M谩rquez 鈥� is slated to take the helm for the 2030 World Cup cycle.
M谩rquez has a signed agreement in principle but his official appointment must still be ratified by the owners of the 18 Liga MX first division clubs. This review will take place next month after Aguirre submits his final tournament report.
鈥淚 had Rafa as a player and now as a colleague; he is more than qualified,鈥� Aguirre noted. 鈥淗e is a valuable asset, he鈥檒l prove it, and I hope he achieves better results than we did.鈥�
For Mexico’s fans, that transition will become the new anchor for their fractured hopes.
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Mexico correspondent Mar铆a Verza contributed to this report.
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