Mateo Chavez and Julian Quinones scored within six minutes early in the second half, leading Mexico to a 3-0 victory over Czechia in the match on the night of June 24 (local time). This win gave Mexico its first-ever perfect nine-point haul in a World Cup group stage.
Chavez (22) opened the scoring in the 55th minute, before Quinones doubled the lead in the 61st minute. Alvaro Fidalgo sealed the victory in second-half stoppage time.
Mexico's previous best group-stage record was two wins and one draw, achieved in 1986 and 2002 — both tournaments featuring Javier Aguirre, first as a midfielder and later as head coach.
Already assured of top spot in Group A, Mexico will play their Round of 16 match next Tuesday at the Azteca Stadium against an opponent still to be determined. Meanwhile, Czechia were eliminated with just one point from three matches.
The game featured milestones for both the past and future of Mexican football. Gilberto Mora became the youngest Mexican to start a World Cup match at just 17 years old.
Veteran goalkeeper Guillermo "Memo" Ochoa (40) entered the match in the 77th minute, joining Lionel Messi of Argentina and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal as players to have appeared in six World Cups.
Discriminatory chant returns to Azteca
Fans at the Azteca Stadium chanted a derogatory term — one that has previously led to fines and sanctions against the Mexican Football Federation. According to the Associated Press, the slang word (literally meaning "male prostitute" in Spanish) was heard late in the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovar took a goal kick.
The chant has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in FIFA fines. It became widespread about 25 years ago and is often used to pressure opposing goalkeepers. The chant spread prominently at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and continued to appear in Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022, despite efforts by the Mexican Football Federation to suppress it.
