The
history of soccer in Mexico doesn't have the same starting point
as in many other Central and South American countries such as Brazil,
Uruguay and Argentina, to name some of the most important in the area.
However, the passion for soccer
in Mexico started to bloom a few years
prior to the first World Cup in 1930, with a professional championship
being formed and the first national selection in the history of Mexican
soccer history occurring in 1927.
History of Soccer in Mexico
– Poor Start - The first ever
international match in the
history of soccer in Mexico
was played on January the 1st, against Guatemala on their home ground.
The Mexican team won 3-2
and it looked it would have a bright start. Unfortunately, this hope
proved without a foundation, as Mexico had one of the poorest World
Cups in the entire Mexican soccer history in 1930, finishing last in
the group stage, with nothing but defeats.
History
of Soccer in Mexico – Slow Ascendance Unfortunately,
after the 1930 World Cup, a very poor period emerged in the history of
Mexican soccer, on both local and international levels.
The Mexican league, despite being professionalized by now, was still
suffering from corruption, match fixing and lack of training conditions
and that state of things translated into a poor performance by the
national team as well.
Participating in 5 World Cups before 1970, Mexican soccer history
recorded a single win in these tournaments, with the Central American
team beating Czechoslovakia 3-1 in 1962. But despite this darker
period, Mexican soccer witnessed a slow ascendance, with better
conditions for youngsters and professional soccer players and with a
revived passion for the game.
With more and more investments in soccer and with the rise of a few
powerful clubs in Mexico, several state-of-the-art
stadiums were built, which could also host the Mexican national soccer
team's matches. This made FIFA consider Mexico for hosting a World Cup
and this highly anticipated moment occurred in 1970.
History
of Soccer in Mexico – World Cup Hosts The year 1970 is viewed as one of the most
important in the history of
Mexican soccer. Not only did Mexico managed to pull off a good
organization of the World Cup they hosted, but their national team also
managed its best performance so far, reaching the quarter finals of the
competition.
The importance of the 1970 World Cup is not necessarily given by the
fact that they managed to reach the quarter finals (which, otherwise is
not such a great performance, let's be honest). Its biggest plus is
that it created a popularity boom
for the game throughout Mexico and ever since that moment, we can truly
say that soccer is the most important sport in the Central American
country.
Following this successful World Cup, FIFA would
allow Mexico to host yet another World Cup, in 1986. By now, the
Mexican soccer culture was already well defined and their national team
looked sharper than ever. After the group stage of the tournament,
where Mexico managed to come in first place, many thought they stand a
solid chance on winning the trophy for the first time in the Mexican
soccer history.
Although confirming the trust of their fans with a strong
performance
that ended with a 2-0 win over Bulgaria in the Round of 16, Mexico was
stopped yet again in the quarter finals, this time by West Germany, who
won the match after a dramatic penalty kick out.
Despite not having great success in what regards international
trophies, soccer
in Mexico is steadily rising and with soccer players
such as Luis Garcia or Rafa Marquez playing at the highest possible
level, this long awaited success looks closer than ever.
