Is it a curse or motivation? Mexico's opening match has been played 8 times without a win—can they break the curse this time?

Talking about Mexico versus South Africa in this opening match, there's an unavoidable topic—the curse. Some fans might not know that Mexico has participated in the World Cup opening match 7 times so far, with a record of 2 draws and 5 losses, never having won. This statistic is indeed a bit shocking.

Mexico's head coach Aguirre was very surprised when asked about this before the match, and he responded by asking the media, "Seven times and all losses?" When the reporter mentioned there were also draws, Aguirre said, "I will tell the guys that this is extra motivation to win! Thank you for sharing this data with me, I hope we can break the curse." It’s clear he had no idea about this curse before, but now that he knows, it might actually become a motivational tool before the game.

But all that said, curses and such things, once broken, lose their power. Mexico has been in excellent form in this year's warm-up matches, remaining undefeated in 8 consecutive games, including a 0-0 draw with Portugal and a 5-1 victory over Serbia. Since 1994, Mexico has maintained a record of 5 wins and 2 draws in their World Cup opening matches. Playing the World Cup at home with a full-strength squad, and facing a relatively weaker South Africa, is the perfect opportunity to end the curse.

Moreover, with the World Cup opening ceremony and over 90,000 home fans cheering, this atmosphere puts enormous pressure on the young South African players. Most of the South African team members have never played in a World Cup, and experiencing such a big stage for the first time, especially on the road, they are bound to feel nervous. Mexico has a "pillar" like Ochoa—his experience of five World Cups means that when he shouts on the field, the entire defense can stabilize. As long as Mexico withstands the psychological pressure in the first half, in the second half, as South Africa's stamina declines, it will be the host nation’s time to reap the game. #预测世界杯墨西哥VS南非