For a month, millions of Mexicans had believed this edition of the FIFA World Cup would be historic, and the hopes and dreams of Mexico's fans grew ever higher as the team recorded successive victories at their famous Azteca stadium.
But fans awoke to a bitter reality: the tournament will continue without Mexico, after the team lost 2–3 to England in a thrilling round-of-16 match. Mexican supporters returned to their daily lives as normal following their team's elimination, and the country is no longer among the hosts of a tournament that continues for another two weeks in the United States.
Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said: "It is painful because we dreamed and pinned great hopes on this — going out this way is extremely painful. It was not meant to be for us; we were unable to settle things in our favour and give the people another night of joy." Mexico hosted the opening ceremony and the first match on 11 June, when the team claimed a valuable 2–0 victory over South Africa. They then beat South Korea 1–0, the Czech Republic 3–0, and Ecuador 2–0 in the round of 32, securing their first ever win in the knockout rounds.
However, the Mexican national team stumbled in the round of 16 for the eighth time in the last nine World Cup editions — the sole exception being the 2022 tournament in Qatar, where the team failed to advance from the group stage. Midfielder Erik Lira said: "Getting past this barrier is not as easy as some think, but we are on the right path. This time was different because we were playing as one of the best teams in the competition; we leave the tournament with our heads held high."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum used her daily press conference to console fans following the elimination. Sheinbaum said: "They played excellently. The moment Mexico is living is one of great pride, hope, and unity. We must keep our spirits high, appreciate their efforts, and move forward."