Saturday 11th October 2025, had all the potential of being a day to live long in the memory of Mexican football fans, but turned horribly wrong as the senior team faced Colombia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup friendly, whilst the U-20 side met Argentina in the FIFA U-20 World Cup quarter-final.
Starting with the senior team, who endured a 4–0 defeat to Colombia, they were already facing an uphill battle after losing several key players. Rodrigo Huescas, captain Edson Álvarez and leading goalscorer Raúl Jiménez were all sidelined through injury. Huescas is expected to miss the World Cup after suffering an ACL tear, while Álvarez is beginning to return from a knee injury, as the Fulham striker was ruled out with a hip problem.
Other absentees included midfield duo Gilberto Mora and Elías Montiel, who are representing the U-20 side at the World Cup in Chile. Their absence left manager Javier Aguirre with some tough choices to make when finalising his squad.
Mexico 0-4 Colombia: South Americans take full control in Texas
Mexico capitulated at the hands of a defiant Colombian side, who took full control from start to finish.
Missing a host of key places, Aguirre opted for Jorge Sánchez to come into the starting lineup in place of Huescas as Erik Lira accompanied Marcel Ruíz in the middle of the pitch with AC Milan striker Santiago Giménez leading the line.
There was also a surprise inclusion as Diego Laínez started on the right wing in place of Chivas' Roberto Alvarado, who has often been Aguirre's first-choice.
The first goal of the game came within the opening 20 minutes as León captain James Rodríguez whipped into the box a perfect ball for Jhon Lucumí to give Colombia the lead before Rodríguez picked up his second assist of the game for Luis Díaz to lop his effort over the on-rushing Luís Malagón.
In the second half, Jefferson Lerma fired home a ruthless volley to add a third for the Colombians before the victory was rounded off by the second-half substitute Johan Carbonero.
Mexico U-20 0-2 Argentina U-20: Mexico's excellent World Cup run comes to a sharp halt
Mexico's U-20 squad had a memorable run at the FIFA U-20 World Cup despite suffering a quarter-final exit to rivals Argentina.
Managed by Eduardo Arce, Mexico had become a darkhorse in the competition after finishing top in a group which featured Spain, Brazil and Morocco before sending the hosts, Chile, packing with an emphatic 4-1 victory in the opening knockout clash.
For this heavyweight meeting, Arce played a familiar starting lineup, once again opting to leave Chivas winger Hugo Camberos on the bench despite impressing late in the game against Chile with two goals to seal the win. Following a week full of rumours, the likes of Diego Ochoa, Obed Vargas, Elías Montiel and 16-year-old Gilberto Mora all started the game, with scouts from the biggest European clubs eagerly watching on.
It took the Argentinians only nine minutes to take control of this knockout tie as Veléz Sarsfield winger Maher Carrizo got on the end of an Emmanuel Ochoa parry to tap into an empty net.
As Mexico knocked on the door, they were dealt a heavy blow early in the second half when Mateo Silvetti doubled Argentina's lead with a composed effort to send Mexico packing.
A night to forget
Defeat for both the Mexican senior team and youth team leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
The defeat to Colombia will inevitably raise questions about Mexico’s ability to compete with the world’s stronger sides. However, the U-20 team’s performance offered a more encouraging outlook, as they went toe-to-toe with one of the top footballing nations on the planet.
Next up for Aguirre's side is a meeting with Ecuador, who despite finishing higher than Colombia in their FIFA World Cup qualification process, will provide a much more competitive test for Mexico.
As for the U-20 side, this is a moment to reflect and take pride in what has been a successful campaign on the global stage. Several players from the squad are now likely to be considered for senior team selection, particularly in the lead-up to next summer’s World Cup, where we may well see a number of U-20 talents make the step up.
What did you make of the Mexico's loss to Colombia and the Mexican U-20 exit from the World Cup? Let us know!
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