Fans were treated to arguably the best game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup so far on Sunday, as Mexico faced off against England for a Round of 16 tie at the iconic Estadio Azteca.
Both teams came into the game in strong form. Mexico, one of the co-hosts of this summer’s World Cup, had been extremely impressive in their first four games, winning every match without conceding a single goal.
England, on the other hand, had looked a touch more shaky in their past fixtures, but were coming off a confidence-boosting comeback win against DR Congo, courtesy of a Harry Kane brace.
The scene was set for what promised to be a gripping encounter, and the action on the field lived up to the billing.
While both teams were fighting tooth and nail for a spot in the quarter-finals, however, TV cameras picked up on a hilarious interaction between the Mexico manager, Javier Aguirre, and England’s left winger, Anthony Gordon.
In the 25th minute, right after the referee called for the first hydration break, Gordon was passing by the spot on the touchline that Aguirre occupied.
The Mexico head coach yelled “Gordon, f**k you” right to his face. But it was what he did after that was totally unexpected.
One would have assumed it was Gordon’s gameplay that had left the veteran manager frustrated but Aguirre followed his outburst with a laugh that’s hard to describe.
A clip of the incident was uploaded to social media soon after. The post has since gone viral, majorly because of the outlandish way Aguirre laughed at his own profanity towards the Englishman.
It looked like the 67-year-old almost enjoyed dropping the f-word on Gordon but in a manner which held no animosity but pure jest and maybe as a term of endearment as well.
🚨🗣️ Javier Aguirre (Entrenador de México) después del partido vs Inglaterra:
— Futbol de Inglaterra (@Mercado_Ingles) July 6, 2026
"Gordon! F*ck you!" Y luego se ríen 🇲🇽😂 pic.twitter.com/xRytyin4rV
Though Gordon and Aguirre shared a joke in the first half, the pacy winger ultimately became the reason Mexico ended up crashing out of the World Cup in front of their boisterous fans.
The Barcelona-bound winger used his blistering pace to win England a penalty in the 58th minute, which Harry Kane went on to score. That goal proved to be the difference between the two teams, as ten-man England desperately held on the secure a 3-2 win despite a late Mexican onslaught.
This is not the first time Gordon has come up clutch for his nation in the knockout stages, as he also came off the bench to assist twice in the win against DR Congo in the Round of 32.
Aguirre spoke again after the game ended, congratulating England and wishing them well for the rest of the tournament.
“We hope the rest of their tournament works wonderfully for them. We made three mistakes and paid a high price. They didn’t make mistakes,” Aguirre said.
Next, Anthony Gordon and England head to Miami to take on Norway in the Quarter-Finals.
Coming off the biggest result in their history after beating Brazil 2-1 in their Round of 16 tie, the Norwegians are a formidable opponent. English fans will be hoping to see Gordon at his best once again, as the Three Lions hope to book their spot in the semi-finals.
