On June 11, 2026, Mexico’s men’s football team will enter Estadio Azteca — officially, Mexico City Stadium — to open its 18th World Cup campaign. It will be the team’s 61st game in a tournament it first entered in 1930. In the 60 matches that the men’s team has played in its World Cup history, it has only ever won 17 of them.
If that record sounds a bit depressing, these statistics really need to be viewed over two periods. Before 1970, Mexico did indeed struggle to leave a mark on the world stage: From 1930 to 1966, the team played a total of 17 games and achieved only one winning match. It did well in 1986, when it won a record three matchups — against Belgium, Iraq and Bulgaria. But it’s only since 1994 that Mexico has consistently qualified for each Cup each time, playing eight consecutive tournaments and reaching the knockout stage seven times— adding 11 more match wins to its record.
Still, the team’s first-ever World Cup match win, in Chile in 1962, is a story worth telling.
A first-ever World Cup point in 1958
At the heart of that story lies coach Ignacio Trelles Campos, a man the FIFA website describes as “an immense personality” who “helped revolutionize Mexican football” with his innovative coaching style and his treatment of players. As a player himself, Trelles had starred for a league-winning Necaxa side. But after a bad injury ended his playing career, he turned to coaching and shone, taking the lowly Zacatepec team to Mexico’s top division. It was in the hot, unshaded Zacatepec stadium, incidentally, that Trelles began wearing his trademark white cap.
He returned a few years later to guide Zacatepec to the 1955 and 1958 titles and, as the man of the moment in Mexican soccer, became assistant coach to the 1958 World Cup squad. It was in Sweden that year that Mexico scored its first-ever point in a World Cup tournament, against Wales.
The match ended in a draw, and Mexico would exit the Cup that year after its very next game, losing to eventual finalists Hungary 0-4, but the team, and Trelles, had made Mexican football history. El Tri now had a new goal: winning its first-ever match.
Ignacio Trelles and the road to the 1962 World Cup
After Mexico’s 1958 Cup run ended, Trelles moved on to coach Club América. However, in 1960, he again took over the Mexican team to prepare them for the 1962 Cup. By now, he had matured into a confident and thoughtful coach. He bonded the players by organizing games of basketball and tennis, and he introduced the use of smaller footballs during training sessions, so that controlling the match ball felt easier. He cared for his players, expanding the coaching and support staff, including adding team doctors.
Above all, Trelles was a great character. He once led the Mexican team out into a hostile stadium wearing a builder’s hard hat. The jeers of the crowd turned to laughter, and the intimidating atmosphere was broken for his players. In another often-repeated incident, a Mexican referee threatened to abandon a game if Trelles did not leave the touchline. Trelles shrugged and informed the official that he was quite comfortable where he was and had no intention of moving.
Mexico faced a long path to even qualify for the Cup. After getting the better of the U.S. team, El Tri entered a group stage along with Costa Rica and the Netherlands Antilles. This campaign started badly when, in March 1961, Mexico lost 0-1 in Costa Rica. Both teams then went on to thrash the Netherlands Antilles, and then, in April, Mexico beat Costa Rica 4-1.
With qualification in the balance, Mexico departed for a European tour. The team started well, beating the Netherlands — who were in those days an amateur side — in a healthy 2-0 victory. Then came the news that back across the Atlantic, Costa Rica had lost 0-2 to the Netherlands Antilles.
Mexico’s road to the World Cup suddenly looked a lot easier.
Tactical changes under Trelles
Mexico’s men’s national football team disembarks in London on May 4, 1961 for a friendly with England’s national team at Wembley Stadium. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Next came the highlight of the tour, a visit to Wembley Stadium to face England. Two years before, Mexico had beaten England in Mexico City, and this invitation was a reward for that fine performance. It was one of those nights when England were at their best. “Mexicans dumfounded by England skill” was the headline in The Times after England won 8-0. The visitors, it was reported, did little more than “tip-tapping the ball in pretty circles.”
It says much for Trelles’ motivational skills that the team recovered to finish their tour with a draw against Norway. The England match was to have a major impact on coach Trelles. Inspired by Brazil, world football was moving to a 4-2-4 formation. The disaster at Wembley showed that Mexico did not have the players for this, so he developed his own Mexican style. This involved three central defenders and two players covering the flanks, but willing to move forward with the ball — wing backs as we know them today. Mexico became a team that could soak up pressure and then counterattack quickly. A 0-0 draw with the Dutch Antilles was hardly impressive, but it took them through to a final World Cup showdown with Paraguay. A Mexican team finding steel in their defense won 1-0 at home and survived a tense goalless draw in Asunción. Mexico was going to the World Cup.
The 1962 team for Mexico
Mexico’s 1962 goalkeeper and team captain, Antonio Carbajal, training in England in 1961. (Keystone via Getty Images)
Many national sides at the time tended to chop and change the team, international selection being seen as a reward for good current form. Under Trelles, Mexico regularly fielded the same team, and eight players from the 1958 squad were selected to go to Chile. There was also a strong Guadalajara presence. Chivas had just won their fourth consecutive title and would provide seven of the team, including Salvador Reyes, the league’s joint top scorer that season. Reyes was a man with soccer in his blood. His father had played for Guadalajara, and young Reyes had been a ball boy at the club even before joining the youth team. With five league titles, worshipped by the local fans, and a World Cup appearance under his belt, Reyes had that special presence that marks great players. He would not be intimidated by anybody when he stepped onto the pitch in Chile.
Two other veterans were also expected to play key roles. The team would be captained by goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal, who was set to become the first player to appear in four World Cup tournaments. At 32, he was at his best, a keeper more remembered for being “a safe pair of hands” who never made mistakes, rather than for pulling off spectacular saves. In front of him, Raúl Cárdenas would be playing in his third tournament and was a key man in the new defensive lineup.
The Mexican team in Chile
Two years before the World Cup was due to kick off, Chile had been struck by the Valdivia earthquake, and damage to stadiums resulted in changing some venues. Mexico would be based in Viña del Mar, a seaside town with a modest 18,000-seat stadium. Here, Mexico faced the reigning champion, Brazil, and two strong European sides, Spain and Czechoslovakia.
The campaign opened on May 30, with Brazil struggling to break down the tight Mexican defense. The Brazilians did not take the lead until the 56th minute, and did not secure the win until Pelé scored late in the game.
Next up was Spain, which had lost its first game against Czechoslovakia. With a minute left on the clock and the score still at 0-0, a roar went up from the crowd, convinced that a Spanish player had stopped a cross with his arm. The referee did not agree, the ball was hacked away and Spain scored from the break.
In a few seconds, Mexico had gone from hopes of victory to defeat.
Behind against Czechoslovakia
After two rounds, Brazil and Czechoslovakia led the group with three points — only two points were earned for a win in those days. Mexico was already out, but Spain could still qualify. In those more innocent times, the two decisive matches were scheduled on different days. Brazil played Spain on June 6. Pelé was injured, but his replacement Amarildo scored two goals as the holders won 2-1. That made the next day’s result immaterial, with Czechoslovakia going through whatever happened.
Even so, Czechoslovakia still put out its strongest team, and there was no sign of taking the game lightly. Indeed, in the very first minute, Václav Mašek put the team ahead. That was the fastest goal in World Cup history and would remain so for the next 40 years. Remarkably, Mexico had conceded a goal in 16 seconds despite having the kickoff.
A World Cup match win to remember
At this point, Czechoslovakia certainly looked the better team. Its players were physically strong and technically sound; they always looked comfortable on the ball and always seemed to have a little more time than the Mexicans. However, after 15 or 20 minutes, a subtle change was edging into the game. While the Czechs still had the advantage, their attacks were starting to look unimaginative. The Mexican defense weathered the opening pressure, and their quick breaks down the center started to look more menacing.
The equalizing goal, when it came, was one the Brazilians would have been proud of: Mexico collected the ball in its own half, put together six passes, and then there was Isidoro Díaz to sweep it into the net with the goalkeeper stranded. “Fútbol extraordinario,” screamed the Mexican commentator.
The Czechs came back strongly and were looking particularly dangerous down the right wing, where Ignacio Jáuregui was struggling against the speed of Jozef Štibrányi. Then, in the 29th minute, Alfredo del Águila robbed a defender on the edge of the Czech penalty area. The Toluca star pushed the ball right, collected the return, and, despite being surrounded by four defenders, twisted and turned to get in his shot. A great goal that put the score at 2-1 to Mexico.
The final goal
Nevertheless, it was still a match that could go either way. If the Czechoslovakians had more of the ball, the Mexicans were creating the better chances. As the game entered the last 20 minutes, the Czechoslovakians were starting to tire, and now, as they pushed forward, they were leaving a lot of space in their half of the field.
With minutes to go, Jan Lála pushed a Mexican pass to the ground with his arm. Referee Gottfried Dienst didn’t hesitate — a penalty shot to Mexico.
Héctor Hernández hit the ball high, hard and into the net. Mexico had secured its first World Cup win.
The win had been achieved over a good side, and Czechoslovakia would go on to reach the final. Ignacio Trelles would win seven league titles with five different clubs and take Mexico to the 1966 World Cup. Seven of the 1962 team would be in England with him, including goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal, who would become the first player to appear in five tournaments. Mexico would draw two of their games in England, but it would be eight years before they won another World Cup match.
Bob Pateman lived in Mexico for six years. He is a librarian and teacher with a Master’s Degree in History.
