Aguirre praises Mexico’s conviction after World Cup debut win over South Africa

Javier Aguirre praised Mexico’s conviction after 80,824 fans watched the host nation beat South Africa 2-0 at the Estadio Azteca, a World Cup opener marked by three expulsions and a roar that turned the stadium into a pressure chamber. For Mexico, the result was more than a clean start. It gave Aguirre a platform to frame emotion as control, with home-soil energy feeding a performance that looked more assured as the night went on.

Julián Quiñones set that tone early, scoring the first goal of the World Cup in the ninth minute and giving Mexico the lead before the match had settled. Raúl Jiménez added the second in the 67th minute, and the margin held even as the referee brandished three red cards, including one for César Montes in stoppage time. The chaos never swallowed Mexico’s shape, and that mattered as much as the scoreline in a game that opened the tournament in Mexico City.

Aguirre urged his players to keep their feet on the ground and move "step by step" after the win, a reminder that the opener alone would not define Mexico’s run. That message matched the way Mexico handled the rest of the group stage. The team went on to win all three matches, finish with nine points, and seal first place in Group A with a 3-0 victory over Czechia on June 24. It was Mexico’s first perfect World Cup group stage.

The Azteca backdrop gave the performance a sharper edge. ESPN described the stadium as a place Aguirre had already marked out as emotionally charged, a setting where the noise could rattle visiting teams and harden Mexico’s own confidence. Against South Africa, that atmosphere did not look like burden. It looked like fuel.

The opener also reset the conversation around Mexico’s tournament ceiling. Instead of surviving the group, Aguirre’s side left the first phase with momentum, a perfect record, and a first impression built on discipline rather than drama. Quiñones’ early strike, Jiménez’s finish, and the ability to absorb the red-card swings gave Mexico a platform that few hosts get to build so cleanly.