Aguirre on Mexico's World Cup debut: 'It was 2-0, but it could have been 4-0'

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre acknowledged the immense pressure of opening the 2026 World Cup on home soil, even as his team secured a 2-0 victory over South Africa.

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It's a brutal scenario. That makes your legs shake a little. You come from the CAR (High Performance Center) to here, people were in the streets and that tells the player 'oh, wow' when you see the stage.

"It's a brutal scenario. That makes your legs shake a little," Aguirre said in a press conference, describing the atmosphere that can affect players. He noted that some players struggled with easy passes, indicating the weight of the occasion.

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Never, in 25 games, have we had a single cramp; and today we had three with cramps. It's a very strong emotional state to put yourself there, to look up. Making easy passes speaks to the fact that the stage weighed on them a little; not all of them.

Despite the initial nerves, Aguirre praised his team's ability to settle into the game, maintain possession, and create chances. "Fortunately, they calmed down and started having the ball. We shot 16 times at the opponent's goal, had a lot of passes and possession. We never really suffered defensively, that's the truth," he stated.

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It was 2-0, but it could have been 4-0 and no one would have said otherwise. César's (Montes) expulsion was entirely avoidable, but it's part of the game and we are already preparing for what's next.

Aguirre believes the 2-0 scoreline flattered South Africa, suggesting Mexico could have secured a more dominant win. He also addressed a red card received by César Montes, calling it avoidable but a part of the game. With three points secured, the team now shifts focus to their upcoming match against South Korea on June 18.

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It was the start of the World Cup, so we've put the nerves aside and have these three points which are very good for us.