They've done it. Mexico — the eternal underachievers, the team that always flirts with greatness before tripping on its own shoelaces — just posted a perfect World Cup group stage. Three wins. Zero draws. Zero losses. Nine points for the first time in their history.
But Javier Aguirre isn't popping champagne. Not yet.
“Step by step,” the coach said after Mexico dismantled Czechia 3-0 on Wednesday to seal the perfect record. “This is beautiful, but the real tournament starts now.”
That's vintage Aguirre. The man knows Mexico's tragicomedy better than anyone. He's lived it. He's coached it. He's watched it implode in the round of 16 seven times in a row. So forgive him if he's not handing out confetti just because his team made it through the group without a scratch.
Still, let's call this what it is: a statement.
Mexico didn't just win — they dominated. They put three past a Czech side that had been frisky in their first two matches. They controlled possession. They pressed with a fury that left Czechia gasping for air. And they did it without their talisman, Hirving Lozano, who sat out with a minor knock.
This is a team playing with a chip on its shoulder. And that chip is working.
No more excuses
For years, Mexico's World Cup story has been the same: cruise through the group, then fold when the lights get bright. The round of 16 has been a brick wall. But this squad feels different. They have depth — Aguirre rotated his lineup and still looked dangerous. They have discipline — they've conceded one goal in three games. And they have a hunger that wasn't there in previous cycles.
“We're not satisfied with just making history in the group stage,” said captain Andrés Guardado. “We came here to do something bigger.”
Guardado is 39 years old. This is his fifth World Cup. He's seen the dream die over and over. If he believes this time is different, maybe we should too.
The math backs him up. Mexico's expected goals differential over the group stage is +4.2, second-best in the tournament behind only Brazil. Their defensive structure is tight — a low block that absorbs pressure and hits on the counter. And their set pieces have been lethal. Three of their six group-stage goals came from dead-ball situations.
This is not the same old Mexico. This is a team that knows exactly who it is and how it wants to play.
The Czech test
Credit to Czechia, who came into the match needing a win to advance. They pushed early. They forced Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa into a sharp save in the 12th minute. But then Mexico's midfield took over. Edson Álvarez and Héctor Herrera choked the life out of the game, and the forwards made Czechia pay.
Raúl Jiménez opened the scoring in the 33rd minute — a bullet header off a corner that left Czech 'keeper Tomáš Vaclík rooted. Ten minutes later, Jesús Corona doubled the lead with a curling shot from the edge of the box. And in the second half, substitute Uriel Antuna added a third after a slick counterattack.
Czechia had no answer. They finished third in the group and are headed home. Mexico marches on.
But here's the thing about perfect group stages: they don't guarantee anything. In 2014, Costa Rica topped a group with Uruguay, Italy, and England — then reached the quarterfinals. In 2018, Belgium won all three group games and finished third overall. But there are also cautionary tales. Spain in 2014 went home after the group stage despite being defending champions. Germany in 2018 did the same.
Aguirre knows all this. He's been in the game too long to get swept up in the narrative.
“We haven't achieved anything yet,” he said. “The only thing this does is give us confidence. But confidence without work is worthless.”
What's next
Mexico will face the runner-up from Group E, likely Japan or Senegal. Both are beatable. But so was Czechia on paper. The knockout round is a different beast — one mistake and you're done. No second chances. No margin for error.
The key for Mexico will be maintaining their defensive discipline while staying clinical in attack. They've been efficient so far — converting 6 of their 14 shots on target. That's a 43% conversion rate, which is unsustainable over a long tournament. But if they keep creating chances, the goals will come.
There's also the question of Lozano's fitness. He's expected to be ready for the round of 16, but Aguirre might be tempted to stick with the lineup that's been winning. Jiménez looked sharp against Czechia. Corona was dangerous. And Antuna gave the attack a spark off the bench.
These are good problems to have. But they're still problems.
Aguirre's caution is understandable. He's been burned before. Mexico fans have been burned before. The round of 16 is where dreams go to die for El Tri. But this time, the path looks clearer. The team looks stronger. And the history they've already made suggests something might finally be different.
“Step by step,” Aguirre keeps saying.
It's a boring cliché. But for Mexico, boring might finally be the thing that works.
