Mexico national football team
The Mexico national football team played its first match on the 9th of December 1923 at Parque España in Mexico City. Rafael Garza Gutiérrez managed that squad to a 2, 1 victory over Guatemala. Three days later, the same team defeated Guatemala again with a 2, 0 scoreline. The series concluded on the 16th of December with a 3, 3 draw against their neighbors. Football in Mexico had been organized earlier by European immigrant groups including miners from Cornwall and Spanish exiles fleeing the Spanish Civil War. The Federación Mexicana de Fútbol was founded in 1927 to govern the sport officially. Mexico joined FIFA as an affiliate member in 1929. They participated in the 1928 Olympic Football Tournament where they lost 1, 7 to Spain in the round of 16. This loss marked their first official international competition under the new federation structure.
On the 13th of July 1930, Mexico faced France in Uruguay for the first World Cup match ever recorded. Juan Carreño scored Mexico's first goal in that tournament during a 4, 1 defeat. Manuel Rosas took the first penalty of the tournament but Mexico still lost 6, 3 to Argentina. The team did not appear in another World Cup until 1950 despite being the strongest side in North America. Antonio Carbajal became the first player to appear in five consecutive World Cups between 1950 and 1966. Mexico hosted the 1970 World Cup and advanced to the quarter-finals before losing 4, 1 to Italy. Bora Milutinović coached the team to another quarter-final run when they hosted again in 1986. That campaign ended with a 1, 4 loss to West Germany after a scoreless draw in regular time. Mexico qualified for seventeen tournaments total and has reached the knockout stage four times as hosts or participants.
The 1990 FIFA World Cup disqualification stemmed from using players over the age limit in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship qualifiers. This incident became known as the Cachirules scandal and banned all Mexican national representatives from FIFA-sanctioned tournaments. César Luis Menotti was hired as coach in the early 1990s to restore competitive standing. Mexico finished second in the 1993 Copa América after losing 2, 1 to Argentina in the final. The team won its first official FIFA tournament by defeating Brazil 4, 3 in the 1999 Confederations Cup final. Five players tested positive for clenbuterol during the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup and were suspended from competition. Miguel Herrera was released as head coach following an alleged physical altercation with TV Azteca announcer Christian Martinoli on the day after winning the 2015 Gold Cup against Jamaica. Javier Aguirre returned as head coach for his third spell in March 2025 after Jaime Lozano was dismissed following a group stage exit from the 2024 Copa América.
Estadio Azteca opened in 1966 with an official capacity of 87,523 spectators. It serves as the home stadium for both the Mexico national team and Club América. The venue hosted the FIFA World Cup Final twice in 1970 and 1986 before hosting again in 2026. Friendly matches often take place across the United States under the MEXTOUR branding created by FMF. Between 2000 and 2019, the national team played 110 friendlies in American stadiums. Attendance averaged over 52,000 fans per match in 2022 alone. Several games occurred at AT&T Stadium in Dallas where head coach Jaime Lozano called it the second home of the Mexican national team. Additional MEXTOUR events include special occasions held directly within Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. Critics labeled these frequent U.S. tours as cash grabs during their peak years.
Fans chant ¡Eh, puto! when an opponent's goalkeeper prepares to perform a goal kick. This phrase originated in Monterrey during little league American football games in the 1980s where supporters shouted ¡Eh, pum! instead. The current version emerged between 2000 and 2003 according to urban legends involving Atlas goalkeeper Oswaldo Sánchez. No primary sources confirm this origin story. The earliest documented usage appeared on the 22nd of May 2004 during a Clausura repechage match between Cruz Azul and Pachuca. Óscar Pérez faced repeated chants from Pachuca fans every time he attempted a goal kick. FIFA dropped its investigation into the chant on the 23rd of June 2014 after concluding it was not insulting in that specific context. The organization fined the federation over fan behavior ahead of the 2018 World Cup and introduced escalating sanctions starting in Liga MX games in 2019. Three international matches were halted due to fan actions including the CONCACAF Nations League final against the United States in 2021. Spectators were barred from Mexico's first two qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup following penalties applied in Guadalajara.
Mexico has met the United States seventy-eight times since their first encounter in 1934 with thirty-seven wins for El Tri. The series record shows seventeen draws and twenty-four losses overall. A 27, 9, 5 record through 1990 demonstrated early dominance before the U.S. grew stronger internationally. Since 2000, the United States leads the series eighteen times with eight draws and nine losses. Mexico remains undefeated at home soil in competitive matches with nineteen total meetings resulting in fifteen wins or four draws. The United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca on the 15th of August 2012 ending a seventy-five year streak without an American victory on Mexican ground. Costa Rica became the first country in CONCACAF to beat Mexico on Mexican soil during FIFA World Cup qualification known as Aztecazo. Mexico holds thirty-two wins against Costa Rica alongside twenty draws and only six losses. Argentina presents an intercontinental rivalry despite being part of CONMEBOL while Mexico belongs to CONCACAF. The team recorded four wins, sixteen losses, and twelve draws against Argentina historically. Brazil represents another major rivalry characterized by frequent high-stakes matches across multiple tournaments including the Olympics and Confederations Cup.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When did the Mexico national football team play its first match?
The Mexico national football team played its first match on the 9th of December 1923 at Parque España in Mexico City. Rafael Garza Gutiérrez managed that squad to a 2, 1 victory over Guatemala.
Who was the first player to appear in five consecutive World Cups for the Mexico national football team?
Antonio Carbajal became the first player to appear in five consecutive World Cups between 1950 and 1966 while representing the Mexico national football team. This achievement stands as a unique record within the history of the tournament.
What caused the Cachirules scandal involving the Mexico national football team?
The 1990 FIFA World Cup disqualification stemmed from using players over the age limit in the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship qualifiers. This incident became known as the Cachirules scandal and banned all Mexican national representatives from FIFA-sanctioned tournaments.
Where does the Mexico national football team host most of its home matches today?
Estadio Azteca opened in 1966 with an official capacity of 87,523 spectators and serves as the home stadium for both the Mexico national team and Club América. The venue hosted the FIFA World Cup Final twice in 1970 and 1986 before hosting again in 2026.
When did the United States defeat the Mexico national football team at Estadio Azteca for the first time?
The United States defeated Mexico at Estadio Azteca on the 15th of August 2012 ending a seventy-five year streak without an American victory on Mexican ground. Costa Rica became the first country in CONCACAF to beat Mexico on Mexican soil during FIFA World Cup qualification known as Aztecazo.