'Don’t mess up the obvious play' - Mexico's Javier Aguirre frustrated by Santi Gimenez and Raul Jimenez being too 'generous' and passing up easy chances

Following Mexico’s 1-0 win over Turkey in their final friendly before the Gold Cup, head coach Javier Aguirre expressed frustration with the play of forwards Raúl Jiménez and Santiago Giménez. While praising their chemistry, Aguirre said he plans to speak with both strikers about what he called their excessive “generosity” in front of goal.

“They’re being really dumb,” Aguirre said bluntly.

The veteran manager emphasized that both players need to be more selfish when it comes to finishing chances — especially if he sticks with a two-striker system in the upcoming tournament, where Mexico enters as defending champion.

“Generous is just another word for being dumb,” Aguirre continued. “You’re in a position to score and you pass it to someone else who’s in a worse position. Don’t mess up the obvious play — you have a chance to shoot and you give it away. That’s very difficult. A center-forward has to be selfish. There’s a lot of camaraderie, and maybe they’re overdoing it.”

Still, Aguirre expressed confidence in both players moving forward.

“We’ll talk to them. I intend to speak with them,” he said. “Sure, you can pass it to the other guy — he won’t be upset. And vice versa. But it can cost you. In general, they’re generous and getting better at understanding each other. I believe they are strong options for me heading into the Gold Cup.”

Aguirre surprised many during the Nations League Final Four by fielding two strikers - something rarely seen in recent years with the Mexico. The change paid off for El Vasco as Mexico claimed the trophy for the first time. However, in the two most recent matches where the forwards shared the pitch, the outcome wasn’t quite the same. Although Giménez scored in the 4-2 loss to Switzerland, the duo was paired again in the second half of the 1-0 win over Turkey. In both matches, the strikers seemed a bit too generous with each other, and according to Aguirre, a few clear scoring chances were wasted due to a lack of selfishness. It will be intriguing to see if Aguirre sticks with the two-forward setup in the Gold Cup opener against the Dominican Republic.

On another note, Aguirre addressed a recent comment he made about already having 10 players in mind for the 2026 World Cup. He clarified that this should not be taken too literally - and not even his wife is aware of who’s on that list.

“People take what I say too seriously. The list in my head has grown. Not even Silvia knows, but I can wait until the Gold Cup. It’s a year with strong opponents, FIFA dates," he said. "As the World Cup gets closer, more players will be added to that mental list. A lot can happen in a year. Yesterday I said eight or 10; maybe I’m wrong, maybe there are six others out there."

Mexico will kick off their Gold Cup campaign this Saturday with a match against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium. It will be a historic occasion, as this marks the first-ever meeting between the two national teams in official competition.