MIAMI, Florida – As the FIFA World Cup continued to evolve throughout the years, the Mexican National Team began to emerge as a stalwart in the competition, representing Concacaf in the 1958, 1962 and 1966 editions, while becoming the first ever Concacaf nation to host the tournament in 1970.
The 1958 tournament in Sweden was the site of a milestone achievement for El Tricolor. On June 11 at the Rasunda Stadium in Solna, Mexico earned their first ever point in a World Cup when they played to a 1-1 draw with Wales in which Jaime Belmonte’s goal in the 89’ gave Mexico the historic result.
While they did finish the tournament with a 0W-1D-2L, record, the point in Solna laid the ground work for better things four years later at the 1962 World Cup in Chile.
After narrow defeats to Brazil and Spain to start the tournament, Mexico won their first ever World Cup match in a 3-1 final against Czechoslovakia on June 7 at the Estadio Sausalito in Vina del Mar.
The European side struck first with a goal in the first minute of play, but Mexico kept their composure and scored three straight goals through Isidoro Diaz (12’), Alfredo del Aguila (29’) and Hector Hernandez (90’) to nail down the landmark victory.
Eight years later in 1970 there was all sorts of history made by Concacaf nations in the World Cup, starting with Mexico becoming the first Concacaf nation to host a World Cup.
On May 31, 1970, the first World Cup match on Concacaf soil was played as Mexico battled to a 0-0 draw with the Soviet Union to kick off Group 1 in front of 107,160 people at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Three days later on June 3, another Concacaf nation played in its first ever World Cup match, as El Salvador took on Belgium in another Group 1 match in front of 92,000-plus at the Estadio Azteca.
While the match ended in Belgium’s favor, 3-0, El Salvador solidified their place in history by becoming the fourth Concacaf nation to appear in a World Cup.
The second matchday of Group 1 was the setting of another milestone, as Mexico faced El Salvador in the first ever meeting between two Concacaf teams at a World Cup.
The Estadio Azteca was once again the location and with 103,058 in attendance, El Tricolor rolled past the Cuscatlecos 4-0 on the strength of a brace from Javier Valdivia (45’, 46’) and goals from Javier Fragoso (58’) and Juan Ignacio Basaguren (83’).
Suffice to say, it was a very progressive 12-year span for Concacaf on the world’s biggest stage, with Mexico earning its first ever result and victory, Concacaf hosting its first World Cup, El Salvador making its first World Cup appearance and the first ever match between two Concacaf teams at a World Cup.
