The Mexican team ends 2025 amid turbulence and boos before the World Cup

The ticking clock sounds for the Mexican team. Time is running out for the team to be ready to face the opening of the World Cup on June 11th at the Mexico City Stadium (or rather called Azteca). On the path to the World Cup, Javier Aguirre collects disappointments and some lessons to be able to choose his ideal players. At the moment there is no starting eleven, but there are several vacancies and great unease among the Mexican fans.

Mexico ends its 2025 with two disastrous results: a goalless draw against Uruguay and a 1-2 defeat against Paraguay. The team hasn’t won since last July. That time they beat the United States 2-1 in the Gold Cup final, but since then they have put their fans to the test: draws with Japan (0-0), South Korea (2-2), Ecuador (1-1) and against the Uruguayans. Furthermore, they suffered a defeat courtesy of Colombia (0-4). Not very encouraging results.

The Mexican joys of the year were the Nations League championship won in March against Panama (2-1) and the Gold Cup against the United States. Both accomplishments, however, did not satisfy a legion of fans who continue to be hurt by the wrongdoing of their players. Also due to the lack of leadership in the sector. The closest man to this is captain Edson Álvarez, who has sought to fill the motivational gaps left by Rafael Márquez, Andrés Guardado and Guillermo Ochoa. Álvarez’s quip in recent days was an ironic comment against the Mexican fans who booed them after the draw against Uruguay: “How nice to be home, huh?” That sentence resonated among fans and media like a flaming dart.

The booing issue has a reason. In the match against Uruguay, the fans wanted Acevedo, the face of Santos Laguna and Torreón, home of the match, as the starting goalkeeper. Complaints against starting goalie Rangel have become a form of criticism for Mexico’s lack of goals. Something similar happened last Tuesday against Paraguay, when the fans, bored with their own, started booing the Malagón goalkeeper in San Antonio (Texas) as a sign of revenge. Then, as punishment, the thousands of fans began shouting homophobic “puto” to the point of suspending the match for a few seconds, a scene that has been repeated for the last eight years. This also shook the emotional stability of the players.

The talkative Javier Aguirre has lost his smile. Already in press conferences he tries to avoid being the man with the easy laugh or memorable phrases. In his past teams he managed to click with some players, but with this generation of players he has not managed to have the closeness he has with Óscar Pérez or Cuauhtémoc Blanco.

Aguirre’s list is more than open to everyone. In March, in the next window of friendly matches, he hopes to test the last players who manage to sneak in, such as the Spaniard Álvaro Fidalgo, former Real Madrid and for years at América, as well as promising youngsters such as Gilberto Mora or Armando Ant Gonzalez.

On December 5, Aguirre and his platoon of Mexicans will wait until the World Cup draw is not an ordeal so they can play at home and at least get through the group, something they couldn’t do four years ago in Qatar under the guidance of Tata Martino.