Mexico coach eyes South Korea clash with confidence: 'We could have scored four'

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said he is turning his full attention to South Korea after guiding his side to a 2-0 victory in the World Cup opener.

Aguirre struck a relaxed and confident tone after the win, saying Mexico could have put four goals past their opponents.

Speaking at a news conference Thursday after Mexico's 2026 FIFA World Cup Group A opener against South Africa at Mexico City Stadium, Aguirre said "2-0 is not such a big win, but we got three points," adding that securing those points was "a great thing."

Mexico claimed the tournament's opening match victory over South Africa with consecutive goals from Julian Quiñones and Raul Jimenez. The team's next match is against South Korea on June 19 at Guadalajara Stadium in Mexico. Co-hosting the tournament alongside the United States and Canada, Mexico are in Group A alongside South Korea, the Czech Republic and South Africa.

Despite the win, Mexico's overall performance drew a mixed reception.

Mexico took control early when Quiñones scored in the ninth minute, but the match grew frustrating before Jimenez added a second goal in the 67th minute — a stretch that included a South Africa red card early in the second half. Some sections of the home crowd at Mexico City Stadium responded with boos.

Aguirre acknowledged the nerves that come with a World Cup opener. "When you start a World Cup, your legs are naturally shaking," he said. "I think the players saw the stadium and were a little overwhelmed — some stage fright." He pushed back on any suggestion of struggle, however. "We didn't have difficulties," he said. "We could have scored four goals, and if we had, the result would have looked completely different."

Aguirre said he did not hear the booing and appeared unbothered by it. "If someone boos, the Mexico players have an obligation to make sure that doesn't happen again," he added.

He also said the team has no fixation on finishing top of the group. "We are not at all obsessed with first place," Aguirre said. "Now we focus only on the match against South Korea. Our top priority is to concentrate on South Korea, take it one step at a time and prepare for what comes next."

South Korea's squad under coach Hong Myung-bo has reason for cautious optimism heading into the Mexico match. Despite the convincing opening win, Mexico cannot celebrate without reservation — key defender Cesar Montes of Lokomotiv Moscow was sent off, leaving the team short-handed for the next game.

Montes, who started at center back, received a red card in stoppage time after fouling South Africa's Khuliso Mudau. The 195-centimeter veteran has experience in Spain's La Liga and is regarded as one of Mexico's most important defenders.

Having earned nearly 70 caps for the Mexican national team since 2017, Montes is considered by some to be even more valuable to the current squad than marquee striker Raul Jimenez of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Eric Lopez, a reporter for Mexico's Televisa, told Yonhap News Agency that "he may not be well known in South Korea since he doesn't play in one of Europe's top leagues, but in Mexico, Montes — not Jimenez — is seen as the real ace."

Montes, who also serves as Mexico's vice captain, started alongside Johan Vasquez of Genoa at the heart of the back four against South Africa and wore the captain's armband in place of captain Edson Alvarez of Fenerbahce, who began the match on the bench.