How has Mexico fared in the soccer World Cups? How far have you come?

The World Cup eliminations that hurt Mexico the most 1:20

(CNN Spanish) --

Mexico is risking its future in the World Cup in Qatar on this Wednesday's date: it has to beat Saudi Arabia and the result of Argentina against Poland has to favor it so that it can advance to the round of 16.

The outlook is discouraging, but mathematically it still has possibilities.

• Mexico - Saudi Arabia in the World Cup in Qatar 2022 live

• Qatar 2022 World Cup results: live groups and standings

From the first World Cup in 1930 to the last one held in 2018, Mexico's senior men's team has attended 16 World Cup tournaments out of a total of 21 that took place in that period, according to data from the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. (RSSSF).

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar is the 22nd world cup in history, and for the Mexican team it is the 17th.

Is the criticism of Martino fair for the fall of Mexico vs.

Argentina?

4:54

In the 16 World Cups that have already ended, Mexico has had relevant performances, especially in the 1970s and 1980s;

meanwhile, in recent editions it has not been able to advance to the quarterfinals, to the famous fifth game.

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Next, we present data on the participation of the Mexican team in the world cups.

The teams from Mexico and Germany prior to the start of the quarterfinal match at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. (Photo: Mike King/Getty Images)

Mexico in World Cups

first participation

• The Mexican team played in the first World Cup in FIFA history, which took place in Uruguay in 1930.

• Their debut game was in the group stage against France and they lost 4-1.

• Soccer player Juan Carreño Lara scored Mexico's first goal in the World Cup in this match.

first win

• Since its debut in a World Cup, Mexico had to wait almost 32 years to win a game in the most important tournament in soccer.

• That victory came at the 1962 World Cup in Chile, in a group stage match against Czechoslovakia.

• The match ended 3-1, with goals from Alfredo del Águila, Héctor Hernández and Isidoro Díaz.

  Despite the win, Mexico did not make it past the group stage.

World Cup at home and first outstanding participation

• The Mexican team had not passed the group stage in world cups, until Mexico 1970 arrived, the first World Cup that the country organized at home.

• In their first two group matches in that World Cup, Mexico drew against the Soviet Union and beat El Salvador, which tied them on points with the extinct USSR.

  Due to the goal difference, the only thing the Mexican team needed was to draw or win their third group game, which was against Belgium, to ensure their place in the next round for the first time.

• Mexico beat Belgium 1-0 and got their pass to the quarterfinals (there was no round of 16 phase).

  In the quarterfinal match, the Mexican team lost 4-1 against Italy and ended their participation.

Second World Cup at home and the best participation in its history

• After Mexico 1970, the national team had disappointing performances.

  Of the next three World Cups, they did not qualify for two (Germany 1974 and Spain 1982) and in one they were eliminated in the group stage with three defeats (Argentina 1978).

• It took 16 years from 1970 for Mexico to have another great performance, and it happened once again in a World Cup tournament organized at home.

• In Mexico 1986, the Mexican team finished first in its group, with two victories and a draw.

  It was thus that they qualified for the round of 16 to face and beat Bulgaria 2-0, with a goal included by Manuel Negrete, considered one of the best in World Cup history.

• With this, Mexico went to the quarterfinals for the second time and its first fifth game in history.

  At this stage, the dream ended: Mexico lost to Germany on penalties and stayed one step (or rather 11) from the World Cup semifinal.

Recent history: no fifth game

• Mexico has played all the World Cups from 1994 to date.

• In each of these editions (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018), the team has reached the round of 16 but has not been able to reach the fifth game (quarterfinals).

• The closest time Mexico came to getting back to the quarterfinals was in Germany 2006, when they played against Argentina in the round of 16.

  However, the albiceleste won with a great goal from Maxi Rodríguez in extra time.

Editor's Note:

This article was originally published on November 17 and updated on November 30 with recent information.

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