When Mexico exited last summer’s World Cup in the round of 16 it not only extended El Tri’s record for underachievement at the tournament to seven consecutive editions but it slammed the window shut on a Golden Generation of players that were arguably the country’s best ever.
It was a generation that featured Carlos Vela, Giovani dos Santos and Hector Moreno, who gave Mexico its first major international title in the 2005 U-17 World Cup in Peru. And Oribe Peralta, whose two goals won Mexico an Olympic title seven years later in London.
But they never got past a fourth game in a World Cup and all four will be at least 33 when the tournament next kicks off in Qatar in 2022.