SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Mexico defender Hector Moreno says El Tri should be looking to advance beyond the quarterfinals as its objective at the 2018 World Cup.
The Roma player is adamant that the country's obsession with breaking the sequence of six round-of-16 World Cup exits and reaching a "fifth game" represents a barrier, and that Mexico -- which officially qualified on Friday -- should aim higher.
"I've dreamed about being world champion since I started to play football, since being a boy," Moreno said in an interview with ESPN on Sunday night ahead of Tuesday's qualifier against Costa Rica.
"I dream about doing really well, not only in a fifth game, because that is putting up barriers. I have a lot of trust in this group and I hope to do as well as possible in the World Cup."
Mexico still has three games left in World Cup qualifying and remains undefeated in the Hexgaonal phase of CONCACAF so far, with a difficult match against Los Ticos on Tuesday in Estadio Nacional.
"The main objective is to finish qualifying in first place and, as a consequence, send a message that we are working and trust in the job that we are doing and we'd love for people to trust in us," said Moreno, who admitted there are things the team still needs to improve
Moreno added that Mexico will be looking to a victory against Costa Rica and that it would be pleasant to erase the memories of the last time El Tri played in Estadio Nacional, when Mexico's World Cup qualifying hung by a thread after a 2-1 loss.
Only late goals by the United States in their game against Panama eventually rescued Mexico.