Mexico beat Czechia 3-0 to complete perfect World Cup group run
Mexico won all three World Cup group matches for the first time, while Czechia exited Group A with one point.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
Mexico defeated Czechia 3-0 in Mexico City to finish the World Cup group stage with three wins from three matches, the Associated Press reported. The result gave Mexico its first perfect group-stage record at a World Cup and eliminated Czechia from the tournament.
Mateo Chavez broke through in the 55th minute, and Julian Quinones scored six minutes later to put Mexico in control, according to AP. Alvaro Fidalgo added Mexico’s third goal in second-half stoppage time at Azteca Stadium on Wednesday night.
Chavez, 22, is playing in his first World Cup, AP reported. Quinones’ goal was his second of the tournament after he also scored in Mexico’s opening win over South Africa, according to Al Jazeera’s prior coverage.
Mexico had already secured first place in Group A, AP reported. El Tri will return to Azteca Stadium on Tuesday for a round-of-32 match against an opponent that had not yet been determined.
Czechia finished the group with one point from three matches, according to AP. The defeat ended its World Cup campaign.
Mexico set a group-stage mark
AP reported that Mexico had not previously won all three of its group-stage games at a World Cup. Its best earlier group results were two wins and a draw, achieved in 1986 and 2002.
Javier Aguirre was part of both those previous campaigns, AP reported. He played as a midfielder in 1986 and coached Mexico in 2002.
The night also carried milestones at both ends of Mexico’s squad, according to AP. Gilberto Mora, at 17, became the youngest Mexico player to start a World Cup match.
Goalkeeper Guillermo “Memo” Ochoa entered the match in the 77th minute at age 40, AP reported. His appearance put him alongside Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo among the players to have appeared in six World Cups.
Chant heard at Azteca Stadium
AP reported that fans at Azteca Stadium used a homophobic slur near the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick. The same chant has previously brought fines and other sanctions against Mexico’s football federation, according to AP.
The slur, which AP described as translating literally in Spanish to “male prostitute,” has been used for years to target goalkeepers during goal kicks. AP reported that FIFA has fined Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars over the chant.
According to AP, the chant became widely noticed during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and was heard again at the 2018 tournament in Russia and the 2022 tournament in Qatar. It has continued despite efforts by the Mexican Football Federation to stop it, AP reported.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.