Jürgen Klopp didn’t hide his disappointment after the World Cup opener between Mexico and South Africa. Now working as an analyst for Germany’s MagentaTV, the former Liverpool manager—and current head of global football for Red Bull—delivered a blunt assessment of what he saw on the field.

Klopp said the match lacked structure, discipline, and basic tactical coherence. He pointed to the red card shown to César Montes as the perfect symbol of a messy, disorganized performance.

“That describes the whole match. It was simply bad tactically. Both teams were poor,”said Klopp, who repeatedly emphasized the defensive issues on both sides.

Klopp’s breakdown: “The distances were all wrong”

The German coach highlighted how stretched and disconnected both teams looked defensively.

Müller: “Mexico didn’t even need to play well”

Bayern Munich legend Thomas Müller, now with the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS and also an analyst for MagentaTV—was just as direct.

He criticized the low intensity and lack of urgency from both sides, especially Mexico.

“It’s a shame Mexico didn’t even need to play well,” Müller said. “In the first half they wasted the chance to keep the pressure high and double the score. They weren’t punished because South Africa lacked the tools.”

Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.

And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.