Manager who told Anthony Gordon ‘f*** you’ at World Cup talks about viral moment before their reunion
Javier Aguirre has apologized to Anthony Gordon after shouting a swear word at the Barcelona forward during Mexico’s World Cup game against England.
England’s team, known as the Three Lions, made it to the World Cup quarter-finals even though they had only 10 players. They won 3-2 against Mexico at the Azteca stadium. Jude Bellingham scored twice, and Harry Kane scored once, helping Thomas Tuchel’s team pull off an amazing win despite the challenges.
One moment people will also remember from the game is when Mexico’s coach, Aguirre, cursed at Gordon during a hydration break in the first half. The 67-year-old shouted, “Gordon, f*** you,” which quickly spread on social media.
Aguirre got frustrated after Gordon ran his full-back Jorge Sanchez all over the field. But Gordon, 25, found the moment funny when he talked about it later.
“I remembered it,” Gordon said after the exciting 3-2 game in July. “It was just a bit of fun. With all the heat and pressure during the game, it was a bit of a joke. I had just run the full-back down the line, so to me, it felt like a compliment.”
Aguirre recently left his role as Mexico’s coach when his contract ended this summer. He has now become the new manager of Valencia, after Carlos Corberan was let go.
In January 2027, Aguirre’s team will play at the Nou Camp, where Gordon plays. When asked what he plans to say to Gordon, Aguirre smiled and covered his mouth, saying, “I’m going to do it like this.”
He also added, “It was a silly thing to do—a spur-of-the-moment thing during the World Cup excitement. Things like that happen. But I’m not going to focus on it. I greeted him warmly after the game, and we even have a nice photo together. Maybe I’ll ask him to sign it for my kids. He speaks Spanish well, that guy.”
Valencia’s new coach finished the press conference by praising Gordon’s Spanish. The former Newcastle player started learning Spanish well before his big £69 million move to Barcelona in the summer.
In fact, Gordon became quite fluent after just six lessons when he was introduced at Barca. “It’s hard,” Gordon said in early September. “People see the end result and think it’s easy, but when you start, it’s tough because you’re learning a whole new language. You have to think in English and then switch to Spanish, which is really hard.”
He added, “I wouldn’t say I’m particularly smart, but I’ve always tried to speak some Spanish, even with my Spanish physio at Newcastle.”
The quick winger—who scored during England’s 3-2 loss to Spain—has had a great start at the Nou Camp, with five assists in six league games.