Picture : Mateo Chavez Garcia (20) and Mexico efficient !
STATISTICS Day 14 – GROUP A
Czechia vs Mexico 0-3 (Group A)
*Mexico repeated the biggest victory (3-goal difference) achieved by a team from outside UEFA and CONMEBOL against a European opponent in World Cup history, after:
USA vs Belgium 3-0 in 1930
Nigeria vs Bulgaria 3-0 in 1994
Morocco vs Scotland 3-0 in 1998
*Mexico recorded its second-largest World Cup victory, surpassed only by the win against El Salvador on 7 June 1970 (4–0).
*Mexico won four consecutive World Cup matches (including the last in the 2022 edition, 2-1 vs Saudi Arabia) for the first time in their history.
*Mexico started a World Cup with three wins becoming the first team from outside UEFA and CONMEBOL to do so.
*Mexico is the first host nation to win all three of its group-stage matches in a single World Cup tournament since Germany in 2006.
*Mexico scored in all three of its group-stage matches in a single World Cup tournament for the first time since 2002.
*For the 2nd time in World Cup history, a host nation finished the group stage with 3 wins and no goals conceded.
Only Italy had achieved this before, in 1990.
*Mexico are the 6th team overall in World Cup history to win all three group stage matches without conceding a single goal, after:
Netherlands in 1974
Brazil in 1986
Italy in 1990
Argentina in 1998
Uruguay in 2018
*This is the second time Mexico have kept a clean sheet during the group stage of a World Cup.
The first instance also occurred when they were hosts, in 1970.
*Mexico have not conceded a goal in the first half of their last 14 World Cup matches, a streak that began in 2014.
The only longer run was England’s streak of 19 consecutive first halves without conceding between 1982 and 1998.
*In 11 of Mexico’s last 14 World Cup matches the score was 0-0 at halftime.
*Julián Quiñones became the first player born outside Mexico (in Colombia) to score two goals for the Mexican national team at the World Cup.
Roberto Gayón (born in Costa Rica) and Zinha (in Colombia) had previously scored one World Cup goal for Mexico being born in another country.
*Quiñones is the first player to score two goals for Mexico in a single World Cup tournament since Javier Hernández in 2010 (also 2).
*Guillermo Ochoa became the oldest player to appear for Mexico in a World Cup match at 40 years and 346 days old.
He surpassed Rafa Márquez, who played against Brazil in 2018 at 39 years and 139 days old.
In the general ranking of World Cup all-time oldest players Ochoa takes the 6th position.
*Mexico substituted their starting goalkeeper during a World Cup match (Ochoa came on for Rangel) for the 2nd time in their history.
The only previous instance was 48 years ago: Mexico vs Germany on 6 June 1978, when Pedro Soto replaced José Pilar Reyes in the 40th minute.
*Gilberto Mora is Mexico’s youngest starter (17 years and 253 days old) in a World Cup match.
He is the youngest player to start a match in the tournament overall since Femi Opabunmi (17 years 101 days) played for Nigeria against England in 2002.
*Mexico’s starting XI had an average age of 27 years and 38 days — the lowest at a World Cup since 2006, when they fielded a lineup against Portugal with an average age of 26 years and 341 days.
*Czechia have not won any of their three group-stage matches in a single World Cup tournament since 1982.
South Africa vs South Korea 1-0 (Group A)
*South Africa have advanced past the group stage for the first time in the history of the World Cup, after 3 unsuccessful attempts.
They will face Canada in the Round of 32.
*AEL Limassol became, quite unexpectedly, the club-protagonist in the Group A final match-day.
Their goalkeeper (Ochoa) made history with Mexico, and their forward (Maseko) with South Africa, to secure their historical promotion.
*Thapelo Maseko is the player from the Cypriot league to score a goal in the entire history of the World Cup.
*Hugo Broos (coach of South Africa) became the oldest head coach to win a World Cup match (at 74 years 75 days).
The next are:
Carlos Queiroz with Ghana in 2026 (73 years 109 days)
Otto Rehhagel with Greece in 2010 (71 years 312 days)
*Two referees from the same country officiated matches simultaneously for the first time in 76 years.
Yael Falcón Pérez (he refereed the Czechia vs Mexico game) and Facundo Tello (South Africa vs South Korea), both representing Argentina, made what hadn’t been seen at the World Cup since the 1950 edition.