Mexico began its participation in the Women’s U-20 World Cup on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Benin. Despite the Mexican team holding a two-goal lead in the second half, the African side managed to equalize in the final minutes.
The match left the Mexican National Team feeling like they missed an opportunity to secure their first three points, facing a rival considered more approachable in the group. Mexico started the match as favorites, based on their previous World Cup experience, having reached the quarter-finals in earlier editions, while Benin was making its debut at the final stage of the tournament.
From the outset, Mexico showed control in ball possession and sought to break through the opponent’s defense. Alice Soto opened the scoring with an early goal, but the Mexican dominance did not translate into a larger lead before halftime. In the second half, Montserrat Saldívar extended the lead, but Benin had a surprising reaction in the final moments of the match, capitalizing on a penalty and an error in a back pass to equalize. In this way, Benin earned its first points in a World Cup, while Mexico let the victory slip away.
The standings in Group A after the opening matchday are as follows: Poland with 3 points and +3 in goal differential, Mexico and Benin with 1 point and 0 in goal differential, and Argentina without points and -3 in goal differential. This puts pressure on the Mexican National Team to achieve good results in the upcoming matches against Poland and Argentina to advance to the next round.
The format of the competition allows even the four best third-placed teams to progress to the knockout stage. Mexico’s next matches are scheduled for September 8 against Poland and September 11 against Argentina, all games will be available via TUDN and ViX.
The list of players called up to represent Mexico in the World Cup includes Valentina Murrieta, Camila Vázquez, Mariángela Medina, among others. This group includes footballers who finished third in the U-17 World Cup in 2025, who have experience in international competitions.
Source: www.infobae.com
