Mexico’s Copa América disaster was years in the making
A lack of domestic ambition and the federation’s insular culture has caught up with the national team
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Mexico were knocked out of Copa América on Sunday without reaching the knockout rounds. An anemic 0-0 showing against Ecuador brought their run to an end. Or maybe it was a crawl. The result followed a 1-0 defeat to Venezuela and a slim 1-0 win over Jamaica.
The performance on Sunday was a bitter reminder of Mexico’s lethargic showing at the 2022 World Cup, where they were also eliminated at the group stage. But this summer’s exit was made all the worse because it’s the first time El Tri have returned to the South American tournament since 2016. If this was supposed to be a reset, a chance to prove Mexican soccer was in a stronger place than the showing in Qatar, it failed.
