Chicharito: I want to win a World Cup

Chicharito celebrates scoring at the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup finals

 

Throughout his illustrious career, Chicharito has always set his ambitious targets for himself.

As a teenager, he dreamed of emulating his father and grandfather, who both represented Mexico at the FIFA World Cup finals.

That dream came true in 2010, and again in 2014, but now the West Ham United striker has set his sights even higher.
Chicharito wants to win the World Cup.

“I want to win a World Cup,” said Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer. “That’s the only thing in my mind.

“Of course, I have good memories with the national team and I want to repeat that as much as I can because that will mean that I am helping the team. But the main dream, the main thought, is to be champions.

“It is the best tournament you can play for your country and it's a culmination of being one of the best players for your country. We all try to fight for our place, so when the manager picks me in the last two tournaments I feel grateful, happy, with a lot of motivation to go and represent my country in the best way possible.”

Our main goal is to win the World Cup, that's the main goal of myself, my teammates and the country

Chicharito

Mexico, who host Scotland in their penultimate warm-up fixture at the Azteca Stadium on Saturday evening, face a daunting task to get out of their group in Russia.

El Tri tackle defending champions Germany, South Korea and Sweden as they seek to reach the Round of 16 for the seventh consecutive finals.

However, while Mexico regularly get out of their group, they have a habit of failing to go any further, having reached the quarter-finals just twice in 16 previous attempts.

It is a habit Chicharito is desperate to break.

 

Chicharito has scored three goals in eight FIFA World Cup finals appearances

 

“We need to get through the group stage, a hard group, and then we will start thinking about that. It's far away but if people want to talk about that, that's fine and we will respect it, but I want to dream as big as I can,” said the 30-year-old, who referenced the achievements of historic outsiders as reason to believe Mexico can indeed lift the World Cup in Moscow on 17 July.

“Any team in any tournament, in any league have the same possibilities as any other sides to win. You've only got to look two years ago to Leicester City who won the league, then in the European Championships I remember Greece winning against all the odds, against what everything thought they beat Portugal in their own country, so you never know.

“Our main goal is to win the World Cup, that's the main goal of myself, my teammates and the country.”