5 min readJun 19, 2026 09:43 AM IST The chorus of boos that came with the half-time whistle at the Guadalajara Stadium on Friday confirmed what the statistics showed. The first 45 and a few minutes of football between Mexico and South Korea, which was to decide which side becomes the first in the 2026 FIFA World Cup to confirm a place in the knockouts, was a cagey snoozefest. Just one save to show and an xG of 0.11 for both sides, which roughly translates to almost negligible chances of seeing a goal. The Mexican players looked somewhat befuddled at the fans’ response. It was no secret they would take the pragmatic route when needed at this tournament. “At a World Cup, the team that plays the prettiest football does not always win. The team that knows how to compete does,” manager Javier Aguirre had said in the run-up to the tournament. At that point, however, it might be safe to assume that at least some of those playing for El Tri were wishing that …