World Football's Biggest Underachievers

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Published 2023-08-16
Mexico is a football-obsessed nation of 130 million people in Latin America, but whilst fellow Latin American nations like Argentina and Brazil are serial World Cup winners, Mexico have never made it beyond the quarter finals.

At the 2022 World Cup, Mexico went out in the group stage for the first time since 1978, El Tri finished third in the 2022-23 CONCACAF Nations League, and the Mexican Football Federation, the Mexico national team, and Liga MX now all appear to be in a state of crisis.

So in this documentary, HITC Sevens takes a look at international football's greatest underachievers, why Mexico aren't football powerhouses, and whether anything is likely to change before they co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup alongside Canada and the United States.

All Comments (21)
  • @wazik7153
    It’s scary to think about the sheer amount of talent which has fallen through the Mexican system
  • @pedromegashit9999
    As someone who used to play on the streets of Mexico and someone who’s seen numerous people failed by the Mexican youth system, myself included, this video brings back so many painful memories. Thank you for being outspoken and informing so many people about the many problems of the Mexican federation.
  • @wahid5923
    Who's watching this after the game with Ecuador
  • @jpramirez4218
    There's a saying "jugamos como nunca, perdimos como siempre" - translation "We played like never before, but we lost like always" this sums up mexican football.
  • @hidalgopika
    being mexican and a football fan brings a level of depression that cannot be described
  • As a Mexican, this is the most well put video explaining why we will never win anything major like a world cup. I stopped supporting Mexico a long time ago. It hasn’t been a national team for a long time, its a corporation. We can’t be proud of that.
  • @Entername-md1ev
    Well this aged very well after their most recent disappointment in Copa America
  • @hettfield
    As someone who grew up in Mexico playing on the streets and in parks, I know a few people who have gotten into professional football. My dad knew a few coaches as well. It's exactly as described in this video. All of it is accurate. The talent is there, but the system is rigged to be pay to play. There is no incentive to produce good players, just make money... ironically, they would make more money if they invested into good players.
  • @alej.5704
    Another horrible thing about Liga MX is franchising. Mazatlan (the club owned by Salinas) used to be Morelia until 2020. Leaving the league with a team with no real identity, and consistently one of the worst in the first division. While the new Morelia club (who took on the old club’s history and honours) is consistently one of the best in the second division. This has also happened with Lobos turning into Juarez. Queretaro FC (Grupo Caliente owned) avoided relegation in 2013 by buying out Chiapas and relocating it to Queretaro, causing San Luis FC ownership to relocate to Chiapas dissolving the original San Luis FC. No other league in Latin America does this type of thing happen and it makes you see why Grupo Caliente and Grupo Salinas push so hard for a permanent closed league.
  • @scottkilmer2904
    As an American, Mexico struggles in comparison to what they could be due to their federation. They have the potential to generate an absurd amount of talent but it all dries up on the vine due to the inability for players to move on to the next level from liga MX due to its severely inflated transfer market
  • @HughieKing
    Hearing the genuine anger and disgust in Alfie’s voice when he was talking about the “Gentlemen’s Pact” between owners actually gave me goosebumps 😳
  • @waldoho12
    As a Mexican this makes me sad but it is all true at the state of football my country is in. Thank you HITC Sevens for making this video and showing it to the entire world!!! Keep up great videos!
  • As a Mexican, the video hasn't even started and I know this is going to hurt. Edit: Absolutely spot-frigging-on. Another banger Alfie,
  • @kozukizaki8675
    Oh Alfie. You've done it this time. You've made many Mexican subscribers quite feliz with this one. Reminder why this is the PEOPLE'S CHANNEL, GRACIAS AMIGO.
  • @jonsmiths6192
    The 2006 Mexican squad was probably the best they’ve had so far. It took the tournaments best goal, probably Maxi Rodriguez’s best career goal, to knock them out.
  • @RealSWOfficial
    After watching the disastrous performance of the CONCACAF Nations League Championship vs the USA I literally search for videos about how terrible this federation is and then I encountered this which explains everything perfectly of why this Mexican Federation just TERRIBLE in every way. Thank you for making this video. From a Mexican
  • @manuelpiza4009
    As a Mexican all I can say is that the grasp that advertisers have on the national team is insane, same thing happens in the league, Mexico needs a whole reset but that will never happen as the financials are all too enticing
  • @rafadinhoforlahm
    Having watched El Tri since 2009, maturing is realizing you’ll never see your country lift a World Cup. The sobering fact is that we missed our great golden opportunity. I’m not being a pessimist here, but to have Vela, Chicha, Gio, Moreno, Pável Pardo, Guardado, and El Maza all emerge from the ashes of Borgetti and Luis Hernandez was truly remarkable. It was a squad that had the foundations of that Confederations winning team, with someone like Marquez as the figure. But those years were WASTED with poor managerial appointments, La Volpe, Hugo, etc. There’s a lot of backlash the players get for being complacent, and while it’s certainly true that there’s many players in the national team setup that have gone soft, I don’t blame them. Yes it’s an honor to play for your country, I’d sacrifice a lot of things to get that chance, but how are they supposed to feel motivated when they see the circus that is the federation? With Televisa and other organizations getting their hands all over team selections and the sort. The appointment of Cocca embodied everything that is wrong with the federation in recent years. Panic, lazy, and destructive. Jimmy Lozano looks a promising appointment, on account he has the buy in from the players, especially the younger ones, but our squad is very limited right now. Lozano looks ready to leave Napoli for a big paycheck in MLS, Gutierrez left Europe for Chivas, and all the Mexican sides produced an embarrassment in the leagues cup, which granted was played in foreign soil. The reality is that Jimmy has to produce a dignified Copa America, even a semi finals will do. Get Mexico that bronze medal and you can win the people over. The fact of the matter is that Ecuador, who are significantly more restricted than Mexico in economic and population capabilities, just had one of their sons break the premier league transfer record. Because Independiente Del Valle were willing to sacrifice short term gain for player development, they now have 20 million coming their way. Mexican clubs and the league needs to start trusting their players again, because otherwise how can they expect us to trust a process that has let us down again and again.
  • @elgatoconbotas5
    As a first generation American I grew up idolizing El Tri. The 1998 WC was one of the best teams we've had. The passion and determination they played with was so amazing to see. Blanco and Hernandez lighting up the defense are some of my favorite memories in football. I gave up on liga mx and the national team about a decade ago. Its obvious to anyone who knows even a little about football that Mexico will NEVER win a WC. The people that you mentioned here have ruined the basic infrastructure and most importantly-the culture. There's 1000s of talented players in Mexico, especially in Guadalajara who'll never get the support or opportunity just because of their family's economic status. Liga mx is a joke. Crowning 2 champs per year, liguilla, mediocre foreigners who block academy players from shining and the absolute greed have rotted away el futbol Mexicano.
  • @chompo5
    I'm impressed by the amount of work put into the video. If you don't know why Mexico underperforms this video has it all. Thanks bringing this to light to more people.