Mexico booked their ticket to the Quarterfinals of the 2025 U20 World Cup by crushing host Chile by a 4-1 score. Mexico not only had their best performance of the tournament but one of the best performances
in their history of the U20 World Cup when they completely dominated the match in route to another key victory in Chilean soil. Mexico thus would get to play a fifth game once again in a U20 World Cup, something that the Senior team hadn’t been able to do in the Senior World Cup since 1986. Mexico will try to get to the Semifinals for the first time since 2011 but they will have an extremely tough task as they face off against title contenders, Argentina.
The 1st half started with Mexico coming out with Iker Fimbres for his first start in the tournament. Mexico also had the return of Alexei Dominguez and Elias Montiel to the starting 11 after missing the previous match against Morocco. Chile started on the offense, pushed by the almost sold out crowd. Dominguez got into the area in a good run but his low shot went just wide. A combination play between Diego Sanchez and Fimbres ended with a low dangerous cross cleared by Chilean defender, Felipe Faundez. Mexico started to gain possession and control the match. A cross into the area to Tahiel Jimenez ended with the attacker being brought down by Nicolas Suarez. In the counter, Chile had a combination play where Lautaro Millan got off a right footed shot that forced a good save from Mexico’s goalkeeper, Emmanuel Ochoa. The ball fell to Juan Francisco Rossel, whose right footed shot was blocked by a sliding tackle from defender Diego Ochoa. Mexico asked for a “green card” review on the foul on Jimenez but nothing was given and Mexico lost a review opportunity because of it. Off a corner kick, the cross into the area was headed from close range by Milovan Celis but it went wide. A great cross into the area was headed from close range by Jimenez and deflected off Celis but Chile’s goalkeeper, Sebastian Mella made a great save. Mexico now was clearly the better team and had Chile pinned down. A ball was left in the area but Dominguez got off right footed shot that was too weak and easily cleared. A longball was brilliantly lowered by Gilberto Mora into the path of Tahiel Jimenez, who got into the area and got off a left footed shot past Mella to score and give Mexico the 1-0 lead. It was a wonderful goal which was a great play from Mora and then a better finish by Jimenez as Mexico took the deserved lead. Mexico was having their best moments of an already wonderful tournament for them as they were dominating possession and playing beautiful football as Chile couldn’t keep up. A great move from Obed Vargas let to a great thru ball but it was just out of reach of Jimenez, who would have had a 1 vs 1 had he gotten to it. A shot from outside the area from Fimbres would go wide. After being brought down in the area, Mora was shouted at by Felipe Faundez, who accused him of diving. The halftime whistle was blown and the 1-0 score actually flattered a Chile that was dominated in the first half.
The 2nd half started with Chile going on the offense on the first play and a shot from Millan was deflected wide by Diego Ochoa. Chile made a “green card” review asking for a handball on the play but the ref correctly ruled that Ochoa had his back near his body and on his back and it wasn’t a PK. A right footed shot from inside the area from Millan was easily saved by Ochoa. A counter ended with Rossel lobbing the ball well wide. Chile was having a moment but eventually once again, Mexico started to dominate the match. A left footed shot from Rossel in the area went right to Ochoa. Fimbres got off a shot from outside the area that went well wide. Chile subbed out Vicente Alvarez and Javier Carcamo for Joaquin Silva and Francisco Marchat. Patricio Romero got off a left footed shot inside the area but Ochoa made a very good save. Mexico went on another attack and good combination play that ended up with Iker Fimbres getting the ball outside the area and getting off a marvelous shot that went past Mella and into the net to score and give Mexico the 2-0 lead. It was a wonderful play as Fimbres shoot was so strong, he fell down as he shot it. Off a free kick, a cross by Marchant was misjudge by Ochoa, but he was still able to recover and make a great save. Mexico subbed out Tahiel Jimenez, Gilberto Mora and Alexei Dominguez for Oswaldo Virgen, Hugo Camberos and Amaury Morales. Off a corner kick, the ball came close to being dangerous but Mella was able to get to it before two Mexican attackers. Chile subbed out Patricio Romero for Rodrigo Godoy. Off a counter, Fimbres got off a great right footed shot that was saved by Mella but the ball fell to Virgen, who made a pass to a wide open Morales, whose low pass found a wide open Hugo Camberos, who slid a shot past Mella to score and give Mexico the 3-0 lead. It was the goal that looked to have killed the match and it was a very deserved result. Mexico subbed out Everardo Lopez for Cesar Bustos. A great run from Morales would make him get past a defender and then get off a pass into the path of Hugo Camberos, who got off a great right footed shot past Mella to score and give Mexico the 4-0 lead. It was another goal that lead to a statement performance. Mexico subbed out Diego Ochoa for Jaziel Mendoza. After getting the ball in the area, Juan Francisco Rossel would get off a great left footed shot past Ochoa to score and place the match at 4-1. A cross into the area was deflected by Camberos, which forced Ochoa to make a clearing save in what was the last dangerous chance of the match. The whistle blew and Mexico got their deserved victory and were thru to the Quarterfinals.
For a second consecutive youth World Cup hosted in Chile, Mexico eliminated the hosts. 1o years before, Chile hosted the 2015 U17 World Cup and faced Mexico in the Round of 16, where Mexico gave another phenomenal performance to win by a 4-1 score. History repeated itself in the 2025 U20 World Cup, where Mexico gave an even better performance to win by the same score and qualify to the Quarterfinals. Mexico gave their best match so far as they were far and away the better team and the score reflected what happened on the field. Mexico will need to improve some things as once again they created few chances for so much possession and domination. The bigger problem though will be the opponent, as Mexico will face Argentina in the Quarterfinals. Argentina is not only the team with the most U20 World Cup titles, but they are playing well as they crushed Nigeria in the Round of 16 and have won all four of their matches (although in a Group that wasn’t as tough as Mexico’s). Mexico will have a very tough hurdle but so far, it doesn’t take that the tournament has been a surprising success for Mexico.
