Mexico's 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an end much earlier than El Tri fans are used to.
Gerardo Martino's side began the tournament in Qatar with a solid 0-0 draw against Poland, before falling 2-0 to a desperate Argentina.
But that was nothing compared to the drama that followed in their final group match.
Still with some hope of progressing from Group C, Mexico scored twice in five minutes in their decider against Saudi Arabia.
With Argentina beating Poland 2-0 at the same time, El Tri only needed to score one more goal to advance on goal difference, but instead they conceded late on and were forced to settle for a 2-1 win.
A World Cup victory will never be celebrated less, with the result meaning Mexico remained rooted in third with an inferior goal difference to Poland.
El Tri were never tipped to go far in Qatar, but this early exit will sting, and it ends an extraordinary run for Mexico on the world stage.
Mexico win but it is not quite enough! @adidasfootball | #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 30, 2022
MORE: Which teams have qualified for the Round of 16?
When did Mexico last fail to make the knockouts?
Remarkably, the last time Mexico failed to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup was in 1978, when they lost all three of their group games in Argentina.
El Tri were particularly poor at that tournament, conceding 12 goals and scoring just twice.
Ever since that poor showing, every time Mexico had qualified for the World Cup, they had managed to escape their group.
That run stretched over eight tournaments, with El Tri infamously falling short in the Round of 16 in seven straight World Cups — known by Mexicans as the curse of 'quinto partido', which translates as the 'fifth game'
Mexico World Cup record
| Year | Stage | Record (W-D-L) |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Group stage | 0-0-3 |
| 1934 | Didn't qualify | — |
| 1938 | Withdrew | — |
| 1950 | Group stage | 0-0-3 |
| 1954 | Group stage | 0-0-2 |
| 1958 | Group stage | 0-1-2 |
| 1962 | Group stage | 1-0-2 |
| 1966 | Group stage | 0-2-1 |
| 1970 | Quarterfinals | 2-1-1 |
| 1974 | Didn't qualify | — |
| 1978 | Group stage | 0-0-3 |
| 1982 | Didn't qualify | — |
| 1986 | Quarterfinals | 3-1-1 |
| 1990 | Banned | — |
| 1994 | Round of 16 | 1-2-1 |
| 1998 | Round of 16 | 1-2-1 |
| 2002 | Round of 16 | 2-1-1 |
| 2006 | Round of 16 | 1-1-2 |
| 2010 | Round of 16 | 1-1-2 |
| 2014 | Round of 16 | 2-1-1 |
| 2018 | Round of 16 | 2-0-2 |
| 2022 | Group stage | 1-1-1 |
