Mexico have, at long last, won a knockout game at the FIFA World Cup and reached the mythical “quinto partido” (“the fifth game”), where they will take on England at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.

A cruel twist of fate, courtesy of the tournament’s new format, means El Tri could still be eliminated in the round of 16, the hurdle they fell at seven consecutive times between 1994 and 2018.

It’s perhaps better not to mention what happened in 2022 but, three-and-a-half years later, an unrecognizable Mexico team has emerged as one of the revelations of the 2026 World Cup.

Hosting, or in this case co-hosting, the tournament brings its own pressure, particularly from fans and the local media. El Tri reached the quarterfinals of the 1970 and 1986 World Cups, both played on Mexican soil, and there is growing belief they can repeat the feat. But could they go even further?

“Y si sí”?

ESPN reporter Lizzy Becherano has been following El Tri’s impressive progress throughout the tournament and says expectations have shifted after four consecutive wins, in which Javier Aguirre’s side have scored eight goals without conceding.

The elusive “quinto partido” has finally been reached after 40 years. So what now?

Becherano explains there is no fixed target for the remainder of the tournament. Instead, Mexico is allowing itself to dream.

“¿Y si sí?” is the mantra adopted by fans across the country, roughly translating to “What if it does happen?”, as in, “What if Mexico wins the World Cup?”

How Javier Aguirre’s transformed Mexico

But how did a team that crashed out of the Copa América group stage two years ago, and ended 2025 on a six-game winless run, admittedly in friendlies, suddenly become World Cup dark horses?

Mexico have quickly become accustomed to success under Aguirre, who has already guided the team to Gold Cup and CONCACAF Nations League titles in his third spell in charge. The World Cup, though, is a different challenge, making preparation paramount.

“One of his biggest assets is team management,” Becherano assesses. “Carefully selecting a group of players that knew they would mesh well to a certain extent on and off the field. He curated this list, thinking about it very carefully, understanding that the Mexican national team, unlike a lot of other national teams, would concentrate very early.”

Members of the World Cup squad who play for Liga MX clubs reported for national team duty on May 6, more than five weeks before their opening game against South Africa.

“Certain players have been concentrated in El Centro de Alto Rendimiento (Mexico’s training complex) for almost two months,” Becherano explains. “I personally have never seen a group so united and family-like, and that’s how they’re describing themselves.

“Every coach has their strengths and weaknesses, and that’s the case for everyone. But I think something that goes underrated when building a roster for a World Cup is how to manage the vibe, how to manage the atmosphere, and how to unite a group that sees each other maybe three times a year.

“I think that’s something important that he’s done.”

Why Gilberto Mora has Mexico dreaming

One player who has become central to the story is Gilberto Mora, the much-hyped teenager whose first two World Cup starts have only fueled Mora-mania. When was the last time Mexicans were this excited about one of their young talents?

“I think one of the biggest things is his age,” explains Becherano. “This idea that the ceiling is so high, the potential is there, and this is really just the beginning. We’re seeing him at the early stages of what he can be. And I think illusion and hope and potential are so exciting to a fan base that may be used to certain players peaking in the national team at age 29, 30, 31.

“The fan base seems to now be excited about growing with Gilberto Mora and seeing Gilberto Mora for the future. I think that’s one of the most unique aspects of him in connection to the fan base.”

Mexico’s 12th player

It isn’t only the players moving forward together. Becherano describes Mexican fans as “the 12th player on the field,” something anyone who has attended one of their World Cup matches can attest to.

“Once you’re on that field, once you’re hearing everybody boo the opponent and scream ‘olé!’ for every single pass that you make, it does make a huge impact,” says the ESPN reporter, who nevertheless insists it goes far beyond Estadio Azteca, where El Tri have played three times, and Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, where they defeated South Korea in the group stage.

“The players have seen it in Guadalajara as hundreds and hundreds gathered outside their hotel just to cheer them on, just to say hi. They’ve been waiting outside El CAR (Mexico’s training complex) to see their bus go through to the Azteca, those who may not have tickets but still want to be a part of the camp and the madness.

“All of that has really led this team to feel united with the country, which I’m sure has helped.”

Even if they upset England at Estadio Azteca, Mexico will head to the United States for the remainder of the tournament. Aguirre himself has spoken about how vital playing at home has been, but Becherano believes leaving Mexico wouldn’t necessarily derail their momentum.

“I don’t think it ends after the game against England if Mexico were to win. The Mexico fan base is renowned for traveling in the masses. They’ve done so at every World Cup. And in the United States, there’s a huge Mexican population. So I do think wherever Mexico go to play, if they win against England, it would be at least 85% a sea of green jerseys.”

Can Mexico really beat England?

But how can Mexico actually beat the Three Lions, who have regularly reached the latter stages of major tournaments in recent years, including two European Championship finals?

“This team thrives when scoring first. Historically, when Mexico gets scored on first, there’s an emotional dip from these players that ends up taking a toll on the match and on the tactics. So if Mexico manage to score first, I’d say within the first 25 minutes, then there’s greater hope of making it out of that game alive.”

For the first time in the tournament, however, Mexico will head into a match as underdogs. That’s simply the reality when you’re facing a team featuring Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham.

“I will not say Mexico is structurally perfect at all,” Becherano admits. “I think they’ve managed to do very well, but that’s not to say I think they’re unbreakable.

“If England manage to catch Mexico in a moment of not being organized, or if Mexico insist on playing out from the back, we’ve seen a couple of instances where they’ve been lucky, there have been near chances.

“If England can catch that from Mexico’s perspective, I think they could be lethal. And I do think if they’re quick on it and catch Mexico in a moment of transition, they can get away with a goal.”

A final nobody saw coming?

If El Tri tame the Three Lions, the knockout bracket could produce even more mouthwatering matchups against Brazil and Argentina, provided the South Americans don’t slip up. And for any über-optimists who have been struck by a particularly serious case of World Cup fever, there is even the prospect of an unthinkable final against the USMNT, who are also going great guns.

“That would definitely be chaos, but I do want to say to a certain extent that in the days prior, there would be a vibe of, ‘We’re both so happy to be here.’ Maybe in the hours before and during the actual game it would be pandemonium, but we’ve seen finals between these two countries constantly in regional tournaments.

“I do think to a certain extent, both fan bases would, before the chaos, be congratulating each other for making it this far, because I don’t think anybody could have predicted that before the tournament.”

But what if it does happen?

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