EXCLUSIVE: Pavel Pardo on Mexico's World Cup run, Gilberto Mora and his Bundesliga title

How have you experienced this World Cup, and what were your expectations going in?

"The truth is a World Cup is a World Cup, we all know how important it is globally. Mexico is hosting for a third time, after 1970 and 1986. I was exactly 10 years old when I went to a match with my father in Guadalajara, Brazil against Poland. This year I turn 50, so for me it is a second World Cup as a player and, for many Mexicans, a third or even a first World Cup.

"Hosting it a third time is something you have to live to understand. As a player, it is the greatest feeling of representing your country. As a fan, imagine welcoming millions of people from different countries and cultures, and showing the world what Mexicans really are: cordial, honest people. Sadly, the news sometimes shows only the bad side, but every country has good and bad. I think Mexico has given the world real hospitality, creativity, joy, passion and love for receiving others."

Has any team surprised you so far?

"Morocco is a team I personally like. They were African champions and reached the semi-finals last time. It is a team built on a project, with players who compete in the best leagues in Europe. I liked their form and continuity, their way of playing, their verticality. France also know exactly what they represent, with players who are key at Champions League level. Besides those two, without being spectacular, Norway have been solid and played good football."

Mexico reached the last 16 playing solidly. What have you liked most about the team?

"What I liked most is that the team came out of the group stage playing well. In a short tournament, football is about moments, and players have to seize them. Raul Jimenez is on fire, a fighter. Julian Quinones is on fire too, the same Quinones we saw score goals for Atlas, for America and then in Saudi Arabia. That unbalanced, powerful, incisive Julian is back.

"I also see a very united group. It is not about one or two individual players anymore; it is the whole squad. Mexico has needed most of its players this tournament, and each one has performed, which shows any of them can start. That is always the aim for a coach: 23 players who can all deliver."

What does it mean to see Raul Jimenez leading the line again after everything in his career?

"It represents a lot. Like with Julian Quinones, we go back to the idea that football is about moments. Raul had a very good spell in England, and every time he scored or assisted for the national team, his performance was strong. He has taken on this leadership role, and I think it means even more given what happened to him; his father passed away a few months ago, and I had a good relationship with him too.

"I know Raul's story and his family's story well, and I am genuinely happy for him. After all his injuries, missing out on a World Cup meant a lot to him. Today he carries that leadership and is the spearhead of this national team."

How do you see Guillermo Ochoa's legacy in Mexican football?

"It is huge. Imagine reaching six World Cups. I met him at America; it was a short spell, but I always liked practising free kicks, and the other goalkeepers on the youth teams would tell him they were tired of it. So Memo Ochoa became my sparring partner for free kicks. I have known him since he was very young, since I was 17. We played together at America and with the national team. It has been a long path, and it is an honour to have a Mexican goalkeeper of this quality."

Moving to a much younger name now, 17-year-old Gilberto Mora. Where is the ceiling for him?

"Keeping the proportions and with all due respect, when you saw Xavi or Iniesta play with that clarity, that calm, that vision and intelligence, that is what you see in Gilberto Mora today. He is the kind of player who is calm on the pitch, who appears in the right space, who controls well, dribbles well when he has to, passes well, shoots when he should.

"Football flows through the feet of players like that; they find space through intelligence, and that makes the game look simple, just like Xavi and Iniesta. I think Mora is destined for great things, and maybe playing without so much pressure helps him too."

Would you like to see him in one of Europe's top leagues?

"I would like to see him there, whether Spain, Germany, leagues that would suit him well. I would not rule out the Premier League either, given his physicality and everything he has as a player."

Mexico have not conceded in this World Cup. Is defensive solidity the main strength of this team?

"We know Javier Aguirre's teams. He has Rafa Marquez working alongside him on defensive organisation. Aguirre's teams have always started from order, whether in Spain or elsewhere, keeping teams tight and hard to beat. This Mexico side is tactically ordered and has not conceded.

"My theory is that when you do not concede, your chances of scoring stay open; you will get two or three chances in a game and that is where you have to be clinical. I think that is what Mexico has done very well."

What has Javier Aguirre brought to the team since his return?

"Experience. He has said it himself in press conferences, this is his third World Cup and he is more relaxed. More experience and more age bring wisdom, tranquillity and patience in decision making, and I think that is what he has transmitted to the team, that calm and serenity. But we also know he likes his teams to have heart, to fight, to run, and that is what this team has shown: grit, fight, and in the last game, real football quality."

Do you see Rafa Marquez as Aguirre's eventual successor with the national team?

"That is the idea. Rafa Marquez left Barcelona to be close to the national team, to be part of this project and eventually take the reins. I applaud the federation, because for the first time they have thought about a long-term project, which is something we lacked before. It is smart to have former players, coaches in this case, who bring that on-field experience to the bench. That is very important, being able to transmit both tactical knowledge and lived experience to the players."

There has long been talk in Mexico about the famous 'fifth game' barrier at World Cups. Is this generation ready to make history?

"I think so. Every time I am interviewed, in Mexico or elsewhere, I get asked about that fifth game. My answer is always to change the conversation. The first thing is to go step by step, win the first game... that is what matters most. Then we can talk about whether it is a fifth, fourth or sixth game.

"Something I learned from the Germans, who are out already, is that winning mentality, taking it game by game. That is what Mexico has shown. It does not matter if it ends up being the fifth game or the sixth; we go step by step and keep doing what has worked so far."

Mexico's Round of 16 clash with England

What kind of match do you expect against England?

"I expect something similar to the Ecuador game, well organised, difficult, decided perhaps by a mistake, a moment of carelessness, or a piece of individual brilliance. I think we will see Mexico grow into the game the way they did against Ecuador, building over the first 20 minutes before the hydration break, using that moment, the fans, the atmosphere the stadium generates.

"For the first time I have felt the whole nation, not just the fans, connected with this team. As a player you do not always notice that, but that energy in the Azteca is something you will not find anywhere else in the world."

There are voices suggesting England have not shown their best level yet. Do you agree?

"I completely agree. With all due respect, England have not shown the level we all expected. They have won thanks to their key players, like Harry Kane, and taken advantage of key moments. That is always important, having players who can decide a match for you. I think Mexico have a great chance here. It will be complicated, but given the way Mexico are playing, with the energy and momentum they have, this is their moment. It is now or never. And they have an ally too, the Azteca, in Mexico City, where the passion is incredible."

So it is England who should be worried, not Mexico?

"I think England need to worry about not conceding early. When you know a team will come at you, you have to weather that opening spell, the first 20 minutes. That is the key for England. Mexico are a technical side, they are comfortable on the ball, with good positioning, good circulation, good triangulation, as they have shown already. If Mexico manage that, I think they can advance and win this game."

You played two World Cups, in Germany and France. What does a footballer feel hearing the anthem before a World Cup match?

"A lot comes to mind. All the dreams you had as a child watching your national team on TV, dreaming of being there one day. Then, as a player, you experience how the fans surrender themselves, how the whole country is dedicated to the national team. There are no words big enough for it. We are truly blessed to have that experience as national team footballers, emotions that started from a young age, the hope of one day representing your country and playing in a World Cup. I keep saying it, we are privileged and proud to play for our country, and that is the most important thing for any player."

What is the hardest part of a World Cup, physical or mental?

"I think it is mental, because in the end everything is connected. When you are okay mentally, you can be tired, but you still give the extra effort. A motivated team runs harder, chases every ball. I think recovery is always important, but a player's mental state makes recovery faster. If you manage the physical fatigue well, you get the results you want."

Bundesliga memories & winning the title with Stuttgart

Let's turn to your time in the Bundesliga. You were one of the first Mexicans to win a Bundesliga title. What was hardest when you first arrived in Germany?

"I think the hardest part was convincing people that two Mexicans, Ricardo Osorio and myself, belonged in the Bundesliga, a difficult league, a different culture, a different climate. I remember our first press conference in Stuttgart, around 50 journalists, and the first thing I told them was that we had come to win.

"I told them, of course, I know this league; I know Bayern Munich, Dortmund, Schalke, Bremen, Hamburg, Leverkusen, all these teams always fighting at the top. I would not call it an obstacle; it was actually a motivation. 

"I went with a burning desire to win, focused on enjoying the dream of playing in Europe and competing against the best. Journalists would ask if the language was difficult, if the winter would be hard, and I told them I did not care if it was German, Russian, Japanese or Chinese, or how cold it was; I was there to succeed.

"The football itself was also different, much faster, much more intense; the ball never stops the way it might in other leagues. At first I would think, wait, let's slow this down, let the ball go through midfield so we have time. That adjustment was difficult, but the attitude both Ricardo Osorio and I arrived with, that hunger to succeed, was the key."

In 2006/07 you won the Bundesliga title with Stuttgart. What memories do you have of that season, and when did you first believe you could win it?

"I started to believe when Ricardo Osorio told his teammates that if we finished in the top four by winter, we had a real chance to compete for the title. That was my dream, and thank God we reached first place. Then in the second half of the season, from January to May, the team kept going, and I thought, we are ready to fight for this. The decisive moment came in the second-to-last game, in Bochum, the Schalke against Dortmund derby...

"Schalke were above us, then we were above them; it kept swinging by a point either way. I remember thinking, if we win in Bochum, we have a real chance, because I did not believe Schalke would beat Dortmund. That was the key, the moment when Timo Hildebrand grabbed a ball almost off the line and cleared it. I thought, nobody is taking this title away from us. Those are the plays that decide championships. In the final game we hosted Cottbus, went behind, but ended up winning the title."

You earned the nickname 'the boss' or 'the commander'. Where did that come from, journalists or the dressing room?

"Both. It came from inside the dressing room and from journalists too. For me, it is a source of pride, because there was an expectation around two Mexicans in Germany, a different culture, a harsh winter. I think it came from the energy we brought, the momentum from the 2006 World Cup that we carried into Stuttgart. Every time I go back there, I am still remembered as a Bundesliga champion, and that will stay with me forever, especially with the hope that it left a lasting legacy.

"Ricardo Osorio and I used to say, back home in Mexico people know us, but here we are nobody. That is what we overcame, and I always say, when you put in the effort and the dedication with God's help, that is where everything comes together."

Tell us about that Stuttgart dressing room, with Mario Gomez, Khalid Boulahrouz, Cacau, and later Sami Khedira. Who was the leader, and who was the joker?

"This is something interesting. Our jokers were two Swiss players, Marco Streller and Ludovic Magnin, both very cheerful. Ricardo Osorio is much more of a joker than me; I am calmer, more focused. They would joke around in Spanish, and I would say, Ricardo, they do not understand you, and he would insist they did. There was real camaraderie. We had Fernando Meira as captain, Brazilians, so a whole Latin contingent alongside Mexicans and Portuguese speakers, which is where I picked up some Portuguese. We also had players from Ivory Coast, from France. It was a real mix, with the Germans generally calmer and more reserved.

"One day I told Ludovic Magnin he was not really European; he belonged with us, he was basically Mexican given how much joy he brought. But the truly key figure in that squad was Marcus Babbel, a European Championship winner with Germany, a champion with Liverpool and multiple times with Bayern Munich. He was around 34 or 35, and from the start the coach told him he might not always be a starter because he wanted to give a young player, Serdar Tasci, an opportunity. Babbel simply said, okay boss, I am here.

"For me, he was the key piece in that squad. After we won the title, I thanked him personally, because having won everything already and still showing that humility, training first, arriving first, supporting and advising Tasci as he took his place, that told me everything about his value. I never once saw him show a bad attitude or arrive late. He was always first out for training, even early morning sessions, and the Germans would follow his lead. Mario Gomez was just emerging then too, with huge quality and hunger to succeed. Between the youth and that experience, we had a strong team."

Finally, on MLS. How has the league evolved in recent years, and can Chicago Fire benefit from signing Robert Lewandowski?

"The league has evolved a great deal. I was recently at a congress with David Villa, and we discussed exactly this: how the league keeps improving. Having lived that progress myself, I think it has been fundamental to where MLS stands today, with stars now wanting to join. That is an achievement for the league and its clubs, backed by infrastructure and training facilities that rival the best in Europe.

"Lewandowski arriving at Chicago, a city with a huge Polish community, brings a major figure. I played against him in the Bundesliga; we know how good he is, what he did at Barcelona, how people reacted to his final game there. That speaks to his legacy. He will keep wanting to be the best in the league, which is very good for both MLS and Chicago Fire."

Do you see a day when MLS reaches the level of the NBA, NHL or NFL?

"I think so. Having lived in the United States, I know the mentality there, the ambition, and they know where they want to go. It should not surprise us if MLS reaches those levels. Today, the most played sport among children in America is not American football or baseball or basketball; it is soccer. That tells you everything about the footprint the sport is building, especially among children and young people, and that is what will make it grow."