Anthony Gordon has received a personal apology from Javier Aguirre following the former Mexico manager's foul-mouthed remark at the 2026 World Cup. Aguirre, who was in charge of El Tri when they faced England, has now explained the incident during his unveiling as the new Valencia boss.
England won the match 3-2, and one of the main headlines from the night was Aguirre's reaction to Gordon during the heated fixture. The then-Mexico manager approached the England international and said, "F*** you," before the pair walked away smiling. Gordon later confirmed that he was not insulted by the incident.
Aguirre explains the exchange
Now, Aguirre has insisted the incident wasn't serious. He said: "It was a silly thing, a spur-of-the-moment reaction in the heat of the World Cup. These things happen, and I'm not dwelling on it anymore."
Aguirre also added that Gordon approached him "very warmly" following the incident and looks forward to facing the Barcelona winger in La Liga. Valencia visit Camp Nou in January 2027, and Aguirre has a unique request ahead of the fixture. "There's a really nice photo. I might actually ask him to sign it, you know, for my kids. Yeah, it's a nice photo, really nice. The guy speaks Spanish well, by the way," he said.
Gordon's fond memories
Gordon looks back on the moment with fondness, admitting he took Aguirre's words as a compliment. He said: "I remembered it. With all the heat and tension around the game, it was a bit of fun. 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."
Following the 2026 World Cup, Aguirre stepped down as Mexico boss and is now back in Spain to coach Valencia. Taking over from Carlos Corberan, the 67-year-old has promised to return the club to its former glory.
Aguirre said: "You can't say no to Valencia. It is a historic club in LaLiga and world football, with an incredible fanbase. I've come here as an opponent, and it's intimidating. I want Mestalla to be an imposing stadium for visiting teams, and for the club to return to where it belongs."
