Mexico crashes out of Copa America: 14 years of underachievement

If you stood on the far side of State Farm Stadium, close to the section of the arena vibrant with the green and red of Mexico’s jerseys, you could mistake the 0-0 draw that eliminated them from the Copa America group stage for a funeral. A morbid silence washed over the 63,000-strong supporters’ section. They wordlessly watched Ecuador collapse with exhaustion and relief while manager Jaime Lozano stormed down the tunnel. They saw star striker and future of the national team Santi Gimenez wander aimlessly throughout the field, clearly disconnected from the build-up.

Most importantly, they saw arguably their most talented squad in decades come up short when it mattered most. Again. Disappointment and a faint sense of mourning exuded from the stadium.

Yet again, Mexico has crashed out of an important tournament after years of restructuring and rebuilding. Sluggish to adapt, dull in attack, and thoroughly outplayed against Ecuador and Venezuela, Mexico is miles away from where it needs to be for 2026. It’s suffered from a lack of identity, a refusal to adjust both on and off the field, and conflicts between officials, players, and fans are rampant. Mexico has been wandering without reason, stuck in an endless swath of mediocrity for decades. Their 0-0 draw to Ecuador was only the latest disappointment. Their problems cut deep.

Wave of mediocrity starts in 2010

If you’re searching for any kind of explanation for Mexico’s early exit in 2024, the answers go as far back as 2010. 2010 World Cup

2011 saw a Mexican side made up of U22 players dismantled at the Copa América 2011. They scored just one goal in the tournament, dropping all three games to finish with a total of zero points. Mexico didn’t take the Copa América seriously, and it showed. They were outclassed in all three of their group stage games, and their best players were resting after winning the 2011 Gold Cup.

2014 saw

Mexico rested most of its stars — Carlos Vela and Javier Hernández, for example — for the Gold Cup during Copa América 2015. They only took two points in three matches, thoroughly outclassed by their more talented South American counterparts.

“You have to accept the failure,” Mexico manager Miguel Herrera said. “We didn’t understand the magnitude of the event we were playing in. We lacked energy, sticking our nose in there.”

• World Cup 2010: round of 16.
• Copa América 2011: group stage without points (it was with a reinforced sub 22).
• World Cup 2014: round of 16.
• Copa América 2015: eliminated in the group stage (last in the group).
• Copa América 2016: eliminated in the quarterfinals losing 7-0 against Chile.
• World Cup 2018: round of 16.
• World Cup 2022: eliminated in the group stage.
• Copa América 2024: eliminated in the group stage.

Mexico started strong at the Copa América Centenario, where Mexico emerged first place in a tough group with Venezuela, Uruguay, and Jamaica. However, the reigning CONCACAF champions were humbled with their infamous 7-0 loss to Chile, showing their status in world football. It started a deep decline as Mexico’s talent pool became more shallow and the FA suffered disagreements about player selections.

World Cup 2022 showed more disappointment as Mexico suffered its first group stage exit at the World Cup since 1978. They looked uninspired in all three of its games, a 0-0 draw to Poland, a 2-0 loss to Argentina, and a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia. Manager Tata Martino faced questions about the squad list, particularly after excluding several up-and-coming attackers and leaning on aging veterans. It came back to haunt them — when Mexico desperately needed an offensive burst against Saudi Arabia, they struggled to produce.

Copa América 2024 has shown more of the same from 2022. Mexico still looks inefficient despite moving on from Tata, while they still haven’t found a good way to connect with star striker Giménez. Gimenez, who knocked in 26 goals for Feyenoord last season, hasn’t scored in over a year for Mexico. They’ve looked stale nearly all tournament, and despite the promise and quality Mexico’s player pool presents, the same roots have struggled both Lozano and this underperforming Mexico side.