Mexico in turmoil ahead of World Cup: 'It’s sad to play at home and get booed'

Tom Weber

• Updated: 18 Nov 2025 15:27 CST
• 3 min read

News

Excitement for the 2026 World Cup is building everywhere - except in host nation Mexico.

Mexico is gearing up for a third World Cup on home soil after the iconic 1970 and 1986 editions. Unlike previous iterations, the next tournament will be jointly hosted with the US and Canada.

Three knockout matches are slated to take place in Mexico, but on current form, El Tri look a long shot to get out of the group stage, let alone to win the tournament as the country's next great hope, Gilberto Mora, recently suggested.

Having automatically qualified for the tournament by virtue of hosting it, Mexico have been restricted to playing friendly games since winning the Gold Cup in July.

Instead of helping El Tri build confidence in the run-up to the World Cup, these friendlies have so far had the opposite effect, shattering any goodwill created with the Gold Cup triumph.

Mexico mood turns toxic

Javier 'Vasco' Aguirre's men are winless since the Gold Cup final, and the mood surrounding El Tri turned toxic at the weekend when they only mustered a scoreless draw with Uruguay.

Chants of 'Vasco out' rang around the stadium in Torreon, while Chivas goalkeeper Tala Rangel was booed by the partisan home crowd because supporters wanted to see hometown hero Carlos Acevedo of Santos Laguna as the starting No.1.

The draw with Uruguay continued a trend of uninspiring performances, although it was nothing compared to the 4-0 thrashing Colombia gave El Tri in October. Mexico's winless run includes draws with Japan, South Korea and Ecuador.

Mexico face Paraguay on Tuesday night as they hope to turn their fortunes around. As is often the case, the game will take place in the US, in San Antonio, to be specific.

Star striker Raul Jimenez believes there may be a connection between the hostility experienced in Torreon and the frequent staging of matches north of the border.

“It’s sad to play at home and get booed, to hear people shout ‘Vasco out’ or yell ‘puto’ at the goalkeeper,” the Fulham striker thundered after the Uruguay match. “That’s what’s really sad. Maybe that’s why they always take us to the United States.”

Speaking ahead of the clash with Paraguay, Aguirre called on his players to show mental resilience in the face of adversity. "If you can't step onto the field with 80,000 or 90,000 watching and can't handle criticism, if you're not ready to be judged, you're not cut out for this."

After the experience in Torreon, the game in San Antonio will be an admittedly early but potentially crucial indicator of whether El Tri's players have what it takes to handle the pressure of a World Cup - or if they will crumble on home soil next year.

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