Argentina–Mexico football rivalry

Last updated
Argentina–Mexico football rivalry
Argentina vs mexico guidorodriguez vs alexisvega.jpg
A moment of the match played
at the 2022 FIFA World Cup
LocationThe Americas
Argentina (CONMEBOL)
Mexico (CONCACAF)
TeamsFlag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Flag of Mexico.svg  Mexico
First meetingArgentina 6–3 Mexico
(19 July 1930, FIFA World Cup) [1]
Latest meetingArgentina 2–0 Mexico
(26 November 2022, 2022 FIFA World Cup)
Statistics
Meetings total32
Most winsArgentina (16)
Top scorer Lionel Messi (4)
All-time seriesArgentina: 16
Mexico: 4
Draws: 12
Largest victoryArgentina 4–0 Mexico
(Friendly, 10 Sep 2019)
Americas laea location map with borders.svg
Red pog.svg
Argentina
Red pog.svg
Mexico

The Argentina-Mexico football rivalry is a sports rivalry that exists from Mexico for the Argentine National Team. [2] [3] [4] [5] Although the rivalry is not a very competitive one with Argentina holding 16 victories, 12 draws and only 4 losses in 32 meetings, the game draws a lot of attention from the media in Mexico. In fact, this rivalry is more keenly felt by Mexican supporters than Argentines, with the latter viewing Brazil, England, Uruguay and Germany as bigger rivals. A majority of Argentines do not consider Mexico as rivals. Argentina has not lost to Mexico since 2004, with the last 4 meetings being shutout victories. Mexico has not scored against Argentina since 2015 in a friendly. [6]

Contents

History

Although the first official match between both nations came in the 1930 FIFA World Cup where Argentina beat Mexico 6–3 on group stage, the rivalry emerged during the late twentieth century, especially after the 1993 Copa América Final, where Argentina beat Mexico 2–1. [7] [8] [9] That was the first time a non-CONMEBOL nation played in a Copa América final, and the first final played between both sides. [10]

Managed by Alfio Basile, Argentina won the Copa América for the fourteenth time, defending their title won two years before. [11] [12] Argentina would not win another Copa America until 2021.

Overall, Argentina holds the edge in the rivalry in official matches, with sixteen victories, four by Mexico, and twelve draws. [13] [14]

Beyond the rivalry between both teams, many Argentine coaches have served as managers of Mexican teams. Meanwhile, César Menotti is widely recognised for his work with the Mexico national team, [4] Nevertheless, other Argentines who managed Mexico in subsecquent years (such as Ricardo LaVolpe or more recently Gerardo Martino) were heavily criticized by the local media despite some good results leading the team. Former Mexican player and manager Hugo Sánchez has always been reluctant with the idea of having foreign managers. [4]

During the 2022 FIFA World Cup held in Qatar, there was animosity between fans of both sides, especially from the Mexican side. Prior to the match between both teams, some Mexican and Argentine fans had a fight in Doha. [15] Both supporters fought again inside Lusail Stadium after Argentina's victory. [16] Previously, Mexican fans, alongside a portion of Uruguayan fans, had been singing a song that included political and social references to the Malvinas War singing "Come to see! Come to see! In the Falklands, English language is spoken", with the word Falklands intentionally included, considering that the islands are named Malvinas in Spanish, regardless of any political position. This intentional aggression sparked outrage of the Argentine fans towards them. [17] [18]

List of matches

The chart includes the complete list of matches played between both teams: [19] [20] [21] [22]

#DateCityVenueWinnerScoreCompetitionGoals (Arg)Goals (Mex)
119 Jul 1930 Montevideo Centenario Argentina
6–3
1930 World Cup Stábile (3), Zumelzú (2), Varallo Rosas (2), Gayón
213 Mar 1956 Mexico City Olímpico Universitario (Draw)
0–0
1956 Panamerican
310 Mar 1960 San José Estadio Nacional Argentina
3–2
1960 Panamerican Belén (2), Nardiello H. Hernández, C. González
417 Mar 1960 San José Argentina
2–0
Jiménez, Nardiello
528 Mar 1962 Buenos Aires Argentina
1–0
Friendly
622 Aug 1967Mexico CityMexico
2–1
Friendly ? Fragoso (2)
76 Feb 1973Mexico CityMexico
2–0
FriendlyE. Borja, F. Bustos
831 Aug 1975Mexico City Estadio Azteca (Draw)
1–1
Mexico City CupCosciaF. Vargas
918 Sep 1984 Monterrey Estadio Universitario (Draw)
1–1
Friendly Burruchaga Negrete
1025 Oct 1984Buenos Aires José Amalfitani (Draw) [n 1]
1–1
Friendly Gareca Flores
1114 Nov 1985 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Draw)
1–1
Friendly Maradona
1217 Nov 1985 Puebla Estadio Cuauhtémoc (Draw)
1–1
Friendly Ruggeri Aguirre
1317 Jan 1990Los AngelesMemorial ColiseumMexico
2–0
Friendly C. Muñoz, Zague
1413 Mar 1991Buenos AiresJosé Amalfitani(Draw)
0–0
Friendly
1520 Jun 1993 Guayaquil Estadio Monumental (Draw)
0–0
1993 Copa América Ruggeri Patiño
164 Jul 1993GuayaquilArgentina Batistuta (2) Galindo
1710 Feb 1999Los AngelesMemorial ColiseumArgentina
1–0
Friendly Sorín
189 Jun 1999 Chicago Soldier Field (Draw)
2–2
Reebok Cup J. Cruz, G. López L. Hernández, P. Chávez
1920 Dec 2000Los AngelesMemorial ColiseumArgentina
2–0
Reebok Cup Solari, Galletti
204 Feb 2003Los AngelesMemorial ColiseumArgentina
1–0
Friendly G.J. Rodríguez
2110 Jul 2004 Chiclayo Elías Aguirre Mexico
1–0
2004 Copa América R. Morales
229 Mar 2005Los AngelesMemorial Coliseum(Draw)
1–1
Friendly R. Zárate Fuentes
2326 May 2005 Hanover Niedersachsenstadion (Draw) [n 2]
1–1 (a.e.t.)
(6–5 p)
2005 Confed Cup Figueroa Salcido
2424 Jun 2006 Leipzig Zentralstadion Argentina
2–1
2006 World Cup Crespo, M. Rodríguez Márquez
2511 Jul 2007 Puerto Ordaz Cachamay Argentina
3–0
2007 Copa América Heinze, Messi, Riquelme
264 Jun 2008 San Diego Qualcomm Stadium Argentina
4–1
Friendly Burdisso, Messi, M. Rodríguez, Agüero Sinha
2727 Jun 2010 Johannesburg Soccer City Argentina
3–1
2010 World Cup Tevez (2), Higuaín J. Hernández
288 Sep 2015 Arlington AT&T Stadium (Draw)
2–2
FriendlyAgüero, MessiJ. Hernández, Herrera
2916 Nov 2018 Córdoba Mario A. Kempes Argentina
2–0
Friendly Funes Mori, Brizuela (o.g.)
3020 Nov 2018 Mendoza Malvinas Argentinas Argentina
2–0
Friendly Icardi, Dybala
3110 Sep 2019 San Antonio Alamodome Argentina
4–0
Friendly L. Martínez (3), Paredes
3226 Nov 2022 Lusail Lusail Stadium Argentina
2–0
2022 World Cup Messi, E. Fernández
Notes
  1. Suspended at 85' due to pitch invasion.
  2. Argentina won on penalty shoot-out.

Statistics

(Only official matches are included):

CompetitionPlayedArg. wonDrawMex. won
FIFA World Cup 4400
FIFA Confederations Cup 1010
Copa América 4211
Panamerican Championship 3210
Total12831

Official titles comparison

Senior titlesArgentinaMexico
World Cup 30
FIFA Confederations Cup 11
CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions 20
Copa América / CONCACAF Championship and Gold Cup 1612
Panamerican / CONCACAF Nations League 10
Total2313

Club competition

Players of Estudiantes (LP) raising the Copa Interamericana won over Toluca in 1968 Plantel de Estudiantes de La Plata festejando la obtencion de la Copa Interamericana - 19690221.jpg
Players of Estudiantes (LP) raising the Copa Interamericana won over Toluca in 1968

At club level, Argentine and Mexican teams met for the first time at Copa Interamericana, a defunct competition contested by Conmebol and Concacaf club champions. In the first edition of the tournament (1968), Estudiantes de La Plata beat Toluca after a two-legged and a playoff series, winning the first trophy for South America.

The first Mexican win over an Argentine side in Copa Interamericana came in 1977 when Club América defeated Boca Juniors. After both teams won one match each, a playoff was held in Mexico City, where América won 2–1 to achieve their first title. [23] [24] [25]

The rivalry between both nations at club level increased during the late 1990s, when Mexican clubs were invited to participate in Copa Libertadores. After Mexican representatives were eliminated on round of 16 in 1998, in the 2000 edition América lost to Boca Juniors in semifinals (5–4 on aggregate). The progress of Mexican sides in the competition was clearly evident in 2001 when Cruz Azul became the first Mexican team to play a final, being defeated by Boca Juniors on penalties after winning one game each (as visitor teams). [26] Previously, Cruz Azul had eliminated Cerro Porteño (round of 16) and two Argentine teams, River Plate and Rosario Central (in quarter and semifinals respectively). [27]

The most controversial game between Mexican and Argentine teams in club competitions occurred in 2005, when Guadalajara faced Boca Juniors in quarter finals. In the first leg, Guadalajara beat Boca Juniors 4–0, [28] being considered one of the greatest achievements of Mexican teams over Argentine rivals. [29] In the second leg at La Bombonera, Chivas player Adolfo Bautista mock Boca Juniors supporters which caused Martín Palermo beat him. As a result, both were sent off while Boca Juniors coach, Jorge Benítez, spit at Bautista's face. The final 0–0 score eliminated Boca Juniors from the competition and the match passed into history as an embarrassing scandal. [30] Benítez's misconduct caused Boca Juniors fired him after the incident. [31]

Tigres UANL became the second Mexican team to play a Copa Libertadores final in 2015, but they lost to River Plate (0–3 on aggregate). [32] [33] After the 2017 edition, Mexican teams would decline to participate in Copa Libertadores due to scheduling problems. [34]

See also

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