Although Portugal had already qualified for the Second Round going into their final group game at the Schalke Arena, they did not let up against Mexico. In front of 52,000 spectators Felipe Scolari's team won the game 2-1 thanks to goals from Maniche (6') and Simao (24'). Jose Fonseca (29') replied for Mexico. The result may have spoilt the Mexican party somewhat, but they still reached the last 16 after Angola could only draw 1-1 with Iran in Leipzig.

Mexico got off to the better start and the first chance of the game fell to Jose Fonseca. But they suffered a major setback in the fifth minute. Simao, the outstanding player in the first half, set up Maniche, who netted from 11 metres to give Portugal the lead. And 19 minutes later things were to get even worse for El Tri. Mexico skipper Rafael Marquez handled the ball in the area, and Simao slotted the resulting penalty past Oswaldo Sanchez to make it 2-0.

Things got louder after half an hour, though, when Fonseca pulled one back for Mexico with a header from a Gonzalo Pineda cross. The Mexico fans sensed their side were back in it and proceeded to urge them forward.

And when the Slovakian referee pointed to the spot a second time after Luis Perez had been brought down in the 57th minute, they thought their chance had come. Omar Bravo was given the opportunity to get the equaliser and his third goal of the tournament, but blazed his shot over the bar.

Nothing much happened after that. And when the news came through from Leipzig that Iran had equalised against Angola, both sets of fans celebrated the fact that both sides had reached the last 16. The Mexican wave swept around the stadium for the final ten minutes, the cue for a long Mexican party in Gelsenkirchen.