The History of Football in Mexico

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 Football 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 Football 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.