Ranking Mexico's Greatest Performances in Brazil Clashes

The last time Mexico faced Brazil in a World Cup was in Chile 1962, and they lost that game 2-0. Since then, there have been other interesting games between these two.

Some of those clashes have taken place among youth squads, such as the 2005 U-17 World Cup, others have confronted the senior squads.

Overall, El Tri and the Selecao have played 47 times, 38 between the first teams, with the rest having been part of youth competitions.

Let's find out which games stand out from the rest for Mexico.

5. 2001 Copa America

Mexico's first win against Brazil in the Copa America came in 2001, and it wasn't easy.

Jared Borgetti took advantage of a rebound and shot with power from inside the box, which was enough to defeat Marcos.

El Tri performed well and showed a lot of structure in the midfield. The players were sharp in set pieces and managed to hold off Brazil's few attacks.

Back then, Luiz Felipe Scolari was the commander in chief and recognized that the squad couldn't do much, especially due to the mentality of the players, as reported by The Guardian.

4. 2005 Confederations Cup

Mexico and Brazil were part of Group B in the 2005 Confederations Cup.

It was a breakthrough tournament for El Tri, as several players made quite an impression and caught the attention of European clubs.

Brazil pressed constantly, especially with Adriano, but Oswaldo Sanchez was focused and denied him at least three goals.

Jared Borgetti made the difference with a header, his specialty, in the 13th minute of the second half. It was especially important for the then-Pachuca striker, as he had missed a couple of retaken penalty kicks earlier in the game.

This was the second time El Tri defeated the Selecao in a Confederations Cup.

3. 2005 U-17 World Cup

Carlos Vela and Giovani dos Santos were names that few people knew in Mexico until they made a huge difference for El Tri at the 2005 U-17 World Cup.

Mexico advanced to the knockout stage in second place and defeated Costa Rica and Netherlands on their road to the final, where they met Brazil.

It was the first time the team reached the last game of the tournamnet, while the Verde-Amarela was hoping to successfully defend its 2003 title.

El Tri proved that effort, hard work and a positive mindset were essential with their achievement.

2. 2012 Summer Olympics

Mexico's youth systems have been on track for the past decade.

The U-17 squad secured two world titles in six years (2005 and 2011), while the U-20 secured its best result in a World Cup since 1977 in 2011.

The U-23 team has also delivered good results. The players secured the 2011 Pan American Games and the next year swept every competition in which they participated: CONCACAF Olympic qualifying, the Toulon Tournament and the Summer Olympics.

In their previous nine appearances Mexico had never played in a final match at the Olympic Games. Their best result came in 1968, when—despite hosting the event—they lost in the bronze-medal match to Japan.

But in London the history was very different. The team didn't lose a single match, and they only tied their opening game with South Korea.

El Tri came from less to more, and they surprised Brazil in the final with two goals from Oribe Peralta.

1. 1999 Confederations Cup

The Estadio Azteca witnessed Mexico's biggest achievement in football in 1999.

El Tri hosted the Confederations Cup for the first time and managed to secure the title against Brazil in one of the most brilliant performances that El Tri has ever given.

Mexico defeated Brazil 4-3 with goals from Miguel Zepeda (two), Miguel Abundis and Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

The team played with intelligence, finding space in the last third of the pitch, and they took advantage of Dida's hesitation.

Manuel Lapuente put together a team that had speed, fine touch and hunger. Their communication and fluency were key to hoisting the trophy.

Follow @ karlitsv