Mexico, all smiles once again after thumping Iceland
A happy pre-World Cup warm-up match in Querétaro after a couple of difficult days for the country, as Aguirre’s men fired four past their rivals.
“Ay, ay, ay, ay—sing, don’t cry. Play, don’t cry". Mexico’s national team brightened the week in Querétaro and beyond with a tune‑up match that was as reassuring as it was low‑stakes.
Second friendly of 2026, second win
Javier Aguirre’s job was to make sure the team didn’t coast through such a soft test—and he delivered. The night felt like a healing session as much as a friendly. A game with real social weight. Fans needed 90 minutes of joy, rhythm, and something solid to believe in.
Ledezma, González, Gallardo, and Gutiérrez understood that perfectly, knowing full well the opportunity in front of them. The World Cup and the battle for roster spots were the backdrop.
Iceland showed up looking like its 2016–2018 version—a glacial volcano of a team. Tough, disciplined, and far more than a polite sparring partner. And leading them, the last warrior from that Viking longship: Gylfi Sigurdsson.
Mexico stumbled through the opening minutes, disoriented. Iceland cut off every outlet, suffocating El Tri. Everardo López tightened up, and Þorsteinsson didn’t hesitate to pounce. Goalkeeper “Tala” Rangel, body stretched like a crucifix—a nod to some legendary predecessors—sharpened Mexico’s focus. A driving run from Marcel Ruiz and a clean setup from Richard Ledezma confirmed that the early nerves had finally shaken off. The Eyjafjallajökull‑level pressure had cooled.
Then came the Chivas‑Toluca connection, humming like a well‑tuned engine. Soccer is all about momentum, and Mexico felt it. López started it—floating a Rafa Márquez‑style pass (not a coincidence) straight to Gallardo, Mexico’s own Tabasco‑born version of Roberto Carlos, who tore down the flank. González boxed out Einarsson on the goal line—shades of Giovani dos Santos against Tim Howard—and after a quick dance, tapped the ball across for Ledezma to smash home with a thunderous header.
Mexico repeated the formula moments after the lights settled from the celebration at Estadio La Corregidora. López spotted the lane, Gallardo drilled it, Muminovic deflected it, and “La Hormiga” finished with ease.
That Iceland from 2016–2018? Just a mirage. A dream. An inception. Gutiérrez stung Einarsson’s gloves before Alvarado and Marcel Ruiz combined with flair and back‑heel touches. At that point, Iceland surrendered, and the match shifted from a serious rehearsal to an open shooting session.
Northern lights
El Tri eased off after halftime, catching its breath. No need to empty the tank in early‑cycle friendlies. During the lull, “La Hormiga” found the relentless Gallardo again—a high‑speed train—and the ensuing scramble ended with a furious strike from Brian Gutiérrez that felt like it landed all the way in Peña de Bernal.
Gutiérrez tried again, Einarsson parried, and then came Gallardo’s masterpiece: a parietal‑bone header to the far post, dropping like a green‑tinted aurora borealis. The finish of a true striker.
Moments later, Einarsson wrapped the fourth goal in a gift box for Lira, but the Cruz Azul midfielder blasted it home, stunned by how open the chance was.
The calm Querétaro night—finally—joined the chorus inside La Corregidora. Cielito Lindo drifting through the stands, black sky overhead. And then, a shift in mood. Gunnlaugsson, attempting a clumsy chest control, fumbled the ball straight to Brian, who sprinted across the field like a geyser erupting, vaporizing Einarsson for another goal.
Ay, ay, ay, ay. And who knows what comes next.
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