Some media outlets claim the Mexican national team only beat Panama because of the opponents' mistakes
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Two goals from Raúl Jiménez gave Mexico the victoryThe 1-0 came from a poor positioning by goalkeeper Orlando MosqueraThe 2-1 was a penalty goal after a handball by José CórdobaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
The fourth time was the charm for the Mexican national team, which finally managed to lift the CONCACAF Nations League title on U.S. soil. With a brace from Raúl Jiménez, El Tri defeated Canada 2-1 to win the tournament on Sunday night.
Despite the victory, hard-fought for Javier Aguirre’s team, some in the Mexican media downplayed the team’s achievement.
"What luck Javier Aguirre has," said ESPN Mexico's Álvaro Morales. "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, commentator for TUDN, shared the following about Mexico’s win: "Attention reminder: they beat Canada and Panama… let’s not start getting carried away."
AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
The media in Mexico has long been critical of the coaches and players of the Mexican team. At the start of the Nations League, opinions were divided on whether Aguirre’s El Tri could make it past the semifinals.
After the 2-0 victory over Canada and the elimination of the United States by Panama, several analysts from the country’s most-watched channels claimed that the tournament had lost all interest.
Now that Aguirre’s team has won the title, the justification remains the same: "They didn’t beat any important teams.”
Getty Images SportWHAT LUIS ÁNGEL MALAGÓN SAID
"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," the Mexico goalkeeper said in response to the criticism received from David Faitelson and Andrés Vaca, commentators from TUDN.
AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MEXICO'S NATIONAL TEAM?
The remainder of 2025 will be tough for Javier Aguirre’s team as they prepare for the 2026 World Cup. On June 7 and June 10, they will face Switzerland and Turkey, respectively, in the United States, just days before defending their title in the Gold Cup, from June 14 to July 6.
For the September FIFA window, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) is looking to schedule a friendly match against Japan on U.S. soil.
