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Following their win in the final league stage match against Czechia, Mexico made FIFA World Cup history, marking the first time they won all three of their WC group stage matches.
Mexico's 3-0 win over allowed the co-hosts to stamp their authority after having sealed their round of 32 qualification in the previous match itself. Mexico was not under much pressure and have continued with the momentum, which will bode well for them in the round of 32. The official handle of FIFA posted that it is for the first time that Mexico have won all their group stage matches. https://x.com/FIFAcom/status/2069984495516676130 In the tournament, Mexico also continued their unique first half streak of not conceding a goal that started in the FIFA WC 2014 and has now reached a total of 14 matches. The only longer streak of a team not conceding any goals across the first halves of their FIFA WC matches is in the hands of England, who did so for 19 matches between the 1982 and 1998 editions, as per OptaJorge. Coming to the match, Denis Visinsky was among the visitors' brightest performers in the opening stages and came close to breaking the deadlock in the eighth minute when his low strike narrowly missed the target. Mexico gradually took control of proceedings and found the breakthrough ten minutes into the second half. Mateo Chavez used his pace to get behind the Czech Republic defence before calmly finishing to give the hosts a 1-0 lead, sending the home crowd into celebration. The momentum remained firmly with Mexico, and they doubled their advantage just six minutes later. Julian Quinones was in the right place at the right time to convert from close range, putting Javier Aguirre's side in a commanding position. With the result all but secured, the Mexican supporters were given another reason to celebrate when veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was introduced with 12 minutes remaining. The 40-year-old became one of the few players to feature in six editions of the FIFA World Cup, adding another milestone to his illustrious international career. Mexico capped off the victory in stoppage time as Alvaro Fidalgo found the back of the net to make it 3-0 and complete a dominant display. The result saw Mexico finish the group stage with three wins from three matches, carrying strong momentum into the Round of 32. For Czechia, the defeat confirmed their elimination from the tournament after failing to secure the points required to stay in contention for a place in the knockout phase. (ANI)
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