England winger Anthony Gordon reflected on his decisive role in the 3-1 victory over Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on July 6, 2026, where he won a penalty after a notable interaction with Mexico coach Javier Aguirre.
Gordon, who recently transferred from Newcastle to Barcelona for £70 million, reached a sprinting speed of 35.7 km/h during the match, drawing a foul from the Mexican defense.
The sideline exchange with Aguirre went viral, but Gordon took it lightly.
"With all the heat and tension around the game it was a bit of fun," he said.
"I'd just run the full-back down the line so it was a bit of a compliment from him.
That's how I took it, anyway. I quite liked it."
Mindset Shift After Euro 2024
Gordon's limited role during Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate motivated a change in his approach for this World Cup cycle.
He recalled his frustration with minimal playing time in Germany, where he wore the same squad number.
"I didn't enjoy it at the time, but I can use that for experience," Gordon said.
When he received the number 18 shirt again, he texted his agent: "It's actually a good thing because I get to put right in that number.
Because in the Euros I was No 18 and I felt like it was a waste of a summer for me.
So, I viewed this as an opportunity to make something special out of that number."
Manager Thomas Tuchel assigned the number 11 shirt to Marcus Rashford, creating a direct positional rivalry, but Gordon said there was no friction.
"He congratulated me as soon as he saw me," Gordon said. "To be honest, he has been really helpful.
I am trying to look for a house and he has helped me with things about the club."
Gordon praised Tuchel's tactical approach, which emphasizes collective achievements over personal milestones. "Basically everything is about the higher purpose, rather than focused on individuals," Gordon said.
"It's us killing our egos and putting ourselves beneath the end goal."
The forward noted that the squad's development involves pushing past self-imposed limits. "We kid ourselves that we play football to win.
We want to win, of course, but we want to see who we can become," he said.
Mental Resilience and Background
Gordon's background drives his ambition.
"I am from a very poor area, a very poor background, just a normal family and I have obviously made the journey to this level.
I want to keep doing that," he said.
After a slow start to the tournament due to a lack of late-season club minutes, Gordon relied on his mental resilience.
"The reason I'll always do well is because my mentality towards disappointment is very good," he said. "I always react to disappointments well.
The first two games didn't go how I dreamt of starting in a World Cup at all."
He evaluated his initial group stage performances against Ghana and other opponents before making a substitute impact against the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he provided two assists.
"But, again, it's my reaction to that.
I missed the next game, but when I'm called upon against DR Congo I thought I reacted very well and obviously got the two assists," Gordon said.
