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Mexico’s all-time top scorer Javier “Chicharito” Hernández has shared his predictions for El Tri ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup.
Appearing on a FOX Sports panel discussion alongside former U.S. men’s national team star Alexi Lalas and Canadian great Dwayne De Rosario, Hernández didn’t shy away from the never-ending drama surrounding Team Mexico in this summer’s 48-team tournament.
Hernández’s bold vision for his country is driving a broad debate among representatives from each host country.
The identity of Mexican “soap opera” football
To understand the basis for his bold predictions, one must first examine the immense cultural clutter that Hernandez must have ignored during his playing years.
The Mexican soccer landscape has always been trapped by its own desire for dramatic narratives, similar to the storylines of Mexican soccer. telenovelas.
“Because of soap operas and the culture that we are, we only see ourselves as heroes or villains,” Hernández said. “They need to see you sweating, screaming, fighting for your country, giving it your all.”
Javier “Chicharito” Hernández had his breakthrough moment for Mexico in the 2010 World Cup against France, scoring the opening goal in a 2-0 victory. (Photo by Mike Hewitt – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
For Hernández, breaking this cycle of extreme media theater is the crucial first step if Mexico is to find success this summer.
“The way these things happen, so instead of helping your own country, it’s the opposite, it’s noise, unnecessary pressure, or whatever you want to (call it), it’s useless,” Hernandez said.
Are the expectations towards Mexico justified?
Mexico will become the first country to host or co-host three FIFA World Cups, with the first two taking place in 1970 and 1986. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
With Hernández predicting a historic performance, the fairness of the audience’s expectations remains a question mark.
Lalas wondered if El Tri fans had unrealistic goals for the team. Hernandez flipped the script, making it clear that while it’s fair to demand the best, there’s no point in wanting to see a style of play that doesn’t fit the team’s current makeup.
“I don’t have to be or have the same quality as you, but I can give the same results, which puts perspective and expectations in perspective. We don’t have the same quality as Brazil. We are not going to play Jogo Bonito,” Hernández emphasized.
“That’s what (Mexico fans) always expect from you: play well, play Tiki Taka, score 20 goals, defend, (not concede) goals.”
Instead of striving for a superficial style similar to other nations, Hernandez insists fans must accept that they may not always be favored to win.
“That’s the beauty of sport. You can win matches without being the best,” Hernandez added.
Criticism of Mexico’s playing style
Facing constant backlash, critics and fans say modern Mexican players are too fragile to withstand public scrutiny.
Hernández rejected the idea, saying the team accepts fair evaluations but demands that fans stop comparing them to foreign heavyweights.
“People think that when players come and say ‘that’s too much’ or ‘they don’t like criticism’. No, it’s not about that. We’re still Mexico, guys. I love my country to death, but we’re still Mexico. We’re not Italy,” Hernández said bluntly. “We can still win our way.”
To achieve its projected in-depth journey, Mexico must maximize its own identity. “We need more realistic expectations,” Hernández said. “Focus on what you are good at, for example, try to explore those qualities and try to win matches however you can.”
The power of El Tri’s fan base
Mexico City will provide an epic backdrop to the World Cup (Photo by Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Images)
While the incessant crowds of El Tri fans infuriated Lalas, Hernández sees that fierce, borderless dedication as the ultimate superpower that will anchor his World Cup predictions.
He shared a moving memory from the 2018 tournament to illustrate the magnitude of the situation. El Tri faithful.
“At the World Cup in Russia, when we played against Germany, that’s why I cried, and I was very emotional, because it’s insane,” Hernández remembers. “We’re in Moscow, we’re playing against the current world champions, and we’re playing a home game.”
De Rosario emphasized that Canada hopes to build that “12th man” energy, but Hernandez reminded him that Mexico dominates the atmosphere throughout North America.
“In one of the last games I played (against Canada in Canada), I think it was in Vancouver…we were the home team, we were local,” Hernandez said.
Hernandez Prediction: “Dream Big”
Raul Jimenez and the Mexican team will have added pressure as co-hosts of the World Cup. (Photo by Eduardo Valdez/Jam Media/Getty Images)
It all leads to the ultimate question: can Mexico finally break the quinto party curse – which involves reaching the quarter-final match, i.e. the fifth match of a World Cup tournament – which now means reaching the sexto gone (sixth match) in the new 48-team configuration which includes an additional knockout round?
Hernandez told Lalas that he expects El Tri to top Group A (which includes South Korea, Czechia and South Africa) and advance past the round of 16. Lalas then asked what would happen in the round of 16.
“What we all want to see happen…they’re going through it,” Hernandez responded.
Lalas pushed him to contrast reality and hope. Hernandez differentiated the concept of getting stuck where you traditionally perform from failure.
“In my country they like to say: ‘if we don’t go to the quinto partido, it’s a failure’, it’s not a failure. We were used to doing that. We still are. Qatar was a failure. You didn’t make it through the group stage. It’s a failure, because we were used to (reaching) the round of 16,” Hernández explained.
Despite a less than ideal cycle, Hernández remains very optimistic about El Tri, even when Lalas asks him if he envisions a dream scenario with Mexico reaching the final.
“I’m a strong believer, I’m Mexican, it’s better to hope for the best. Dream big,” Hernandez admitted. “I love that phrase ‘They call you crazy until it’s made’, you know, ‘delusional until it’s made’… I know some of the players that are there… they’re going to do a lot better than a lot of people think, because why not?”
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