Mexican media temper expectations despite historic Nations League victory
In a landmark achievement for Mexican soccer, El Tri secured their first CONCACAF Nations League title with a 2-1 victory over Panama on Sunday. Raúl Jiménez's brace proved decisive in what was Mexico's fourth attempt at winning the tournament on U.S. soil. Despite this accomplishment, prominent voices in Mexican media have been quick to downplay the significance of the win.
"What luck Javier Aguirre has," remarked ESPN Mexico's Álvaro Morales, attributing the victory to fortunate circumstances. "Thanks to a mistake by the Panamanian goalkeeper and a blatant handball, Vasco becomes the Nations League champion. You barely managed to beat Panama."
David Faitelson of TUDN offered an equally subdued assessment: "Attention reminder: they beat Canada and Panama... let's not start getting carried away." Such measured reactions reflect a long-standing tradition of Mexican media applying stringent scrutiny to the national team's performances, regardless of the outcome.
This critical stance was evident throughout the tournament. When Mexico advanced past the semifinals and the United States was eliminated by Panama, several analysts from Mexico's most-watched networks suggested the competition had lost its significance. Now that Aguirre's squad has claimed the title, the narrative remains consistent: "They didn't beat any important teams."
Mexico goalkeeper Julio González responded to these criticisms, particularly those from TUDN commentators David Faitelson and Andrés Vaca. "I watched your podcast, man, with David in the morning, I said, no way... what a jinx, it's good that he likes me. It's a nice topic because there's always competition in the national team, I appreciate the trust. I'm grateful to life and to Vaca because they jinxed me," González stated.
Looking ahead, 2025 presents numerous challenges for Javier Aguirre's team as they build toward the 2026 World Cup. Mexico will face European competition in June with matches against Switzerland and Turkey in the United States, before defending their Gold Cup title from June 14 to July 6. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) is also working to arrange a September friendly against Japan on American soil.
As El Tri continues its preparation for hosting duties at the 2026 World Cup alongside the United States and Canada, the pressure from media and fans will likely remain intense—regardless of the hardware they collect along the way.
