Mexico lived a night of celebrations as they beat Czechia 3-0 during the third World Cup group stage match, with goals by Mateo Chávez, Julián Quiñones and Álvaro Fidalgo to confirm they qualify as group leaders as the first and only team so far to win all three group stage matches. South Africa qualifies as group runner-ups, Czechia is eliminated and South Korea could still qualify as third in the group, but it is very unlikely (only 3 points and -1 of goal difference).
Mexico's match was also a tribute to Guillermo Ochoa, who joined Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the club of players who have been in six World Cups. The 40-year-old goalkeeper was an unused substitute in World Cups 2006 and 2010, and starting goalkeeper in 2014, 2018, and 2022, considered the second best goalkeeper in the 2018 edition in Russia (he made 9 saves against Germany that edition). He lost the starting role in 2023, but he still worked to convince the coaches of the Mexican national team that he could be a second goalkeeper.
And Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico in World Cup 2026 and also coach of Mexico in 2010, when Ochoa was controversially benched, finally gave Ochoa what will likely be his goodbye from World Cups: he substituted the current starting goalkeeper, Raúl Rangel, for Ochoa, who received an ovation at the Azteca stadium (fans had been clamouring for him to appear in the pitch since the competition started).
Ochoa played for 13 minutes, with the captain's armband, and kissed the goal posts as he left. He has previously said that this would be his final tournament, so these were likely his final moments in a football pitch.
