MEXICO CITY — Like so many others at the Estadio Azteca, I cried when the Mexican national anthem began to play.
I happily teared up because of the privilege to witness history in the beautiful game, with Mexico becoming the first nation to host three FIFA World Cups. I quietly broke down as I thought of my Mexican grandmother, a supporter of the sport and of El Tri, who died just weeks before the start of the tournament. With my emotions getting swept up in a festive atmosphere, I thought of the connection between the past and present, which was playing out in front of me.
Forty years before Mexico defeated South Africa 2-0 in Thursday’s raucous World Cup opener, coach Javier Aguirre wasn’t on the sideline but on the field as a player the last time that his country hosted the tournament.
“They are young,” Aguirre said post-game about his players and his own World Cup past. “They needed to live this experience.”
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It was here in 1986 when the national team finished as quarterfinalists, equaling their best performance, which came the first time they hosted the tournament in 1970. Those quarterfinal finishes set a new benchmark for Mexican soccer, uplifting the country that had hoped to enter the upper echelon of the sport.
Then came decades of stagnation.
From 1994 to 2018, Mexico posted six consecutive and underwhelming round-of-16 finishes in World Cups. In 2022, they regressed, suffering an embarrassing group-stage exit.
But on Thursday, in the first match of the 2026 World Cup? In a tournament back on home soil? That was a sentimental celebration of optimism that hasn’t been seen in years.
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The fans, in a spontaneous moment right before the opening whistle, kicked things off by throwing thousands of giveaway paper sombreros high into the air. Less of an act of rebellion, and more one of joy, the scene was set for the hosts to catch everyone by surprise.
Julián Quiñones, following the fans’ lead, brought some unpredictability to the pitch with an early goal in the ninth minute. The Azteca erupted with cheers, and yes, more paper sombreros.
“It’s a brutal setting, it makes your legs shake a bit,” Aguirre said. “You come from the training center [CAR] to the stadium and that makes the players say, ‘Wow,’ it’s a very strong emotional state.”
For far longer than many of us have been alive, fans have regularly stepped into the cathedral that is the Estadio Azteca, praying for moments like Thursday. Those prayers, which include those from supporters who are no longer with us, were answered once again when Raúl Jiménez made it 2-0 in the second half, all but cementing a victory.
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Like any party, though, things can get out of hand. Three red cards were shown in the second half, two for South Africa, and one for Mexico starting defender César Montes. Who takes Montes’ place in Mexico’s second group game against South Korea remains unknown, leaving a bittersweet end to the festivities.
At the moment, Aguirre noted that Edson Alvarez is the likely one “to play center back” in his spot.
And the hosts shouldn’t get too carried away. Even when South Africa had 11 players on the pitch, they didn’t give a good account of themselves. The visitors gave too much respect to Mexico, allowing the home side to either trap them in their own third or knock the ball around cautiously as they maintained their lead.
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No matter, though. With a Mexico win, music blared from speakers and delirious fans yelped and hugged. In the stands and on the concourses, it was notable to see the unbridled smiles, the amount of bliss that was on display.
One man, in particular, was sporting a knockoff World Cup shirt that I had recently seen in a shop downtown. On the shirt, it reads: “World Cup Legacy 86-26,” which includes an image of a father sporting a No. 86 and his son sporting the No. 26.
We’ll see if there is a similar legacy to be had after Mexico’s emotional and jubilant victory.
