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It would not be remotely true to suggest that the Mexican public fell out of love with El Tri, their national team.
That is unconditional. Eternal.
It is however fair to state that in recent times something more abstract has set in, a collective loss of faith in both their players, who have consistently underwhelmed, and the footballing gods above.
Perhaps the lack of a bona fide superstar partly accounts for this because it cannot be overstated how inspirational one special man can be to an otherwise beleaguered nation.
Gareth Bale’s uplifting of Wales epitomises this. The same goes for Ballon d’Or winner Hristo Stoichkov raising Bulgaria to unprecedented heights.
Mexico’s last superstar was Hugo Sanchez who is adored still for his heroics in green, and unable to walk the streets of Guadalajara or Mexico City for fear of being mobbed.
But the striker last exhibited his unique brilliance in the mid-nineties and – save for some notable names since, such as Rafael Marquez and the ‘Little Pea’ Javier Hernández - the overall standard of Mexican internationals has declined.
At the last World Cup in Qatar, El Tri meekly departed the tournament at the group stage. Two years later, at Copa América, they did the same.
As for despairing at the gods, it must be said they have been cruel to Mexico for some considerable time, as evidenced by ‘quinto partido’; an obsession no less. A curse.
For seven consecutive World Cup finals El Tri exited at the round of 16 stage leading to a nationwide desperation for a ‘fifth game’.
This became more than a mental obstacle. Across nearly three decades, it began to symbolise limitation. It began to feel inevitable and beyond human control.
The passion and the pageantry
All of which is to provide context for Mexico’s co-hosting of this summer’s World Cup, and what occurred at the fabled Estadio Azteca on June 11 when the tournament got underway.
Eighty thousand plus fans flocked to the famous ground, bedecked in green and wide smiles, determined to turn the occasion into a party.
A mariachi band played. There was tacos and carnitas; maracas and even the odd ironic sombrero.
Mexico won their opening fixture 2-0 against a disappointing South Africa and of course victory mattered a great deal, on the day and within the big picture. It fuelled the carnival atmosphere. Made sense of it.
But maybe the more important story took place off the pitch, amidst the joy and chaos in the stands.
Looking on from afar, it was hard not to be seduced by the defiance on display, a reclaiming of their footballing soul after a sustained period of stagnation.
It felt too almost like an experiment. To collectively see if their infatuation with El Tri, and their embracing of celebration, patriotism, and optimism was still there, as strong as before. And it was.
Ochoa a throughline to the past
Two prominent figures pitch-side against South Africa links the Mexico of the past with its current incarnation; it’s vibrancy reborn.
Pacing the technical area was Javier Aguirre, Mexico’s head coach who last year led El Tri to Gold Cup success in the US, beating the hosts in the final.
Back in Mexico ’86 – the last time the country hosted the World Cup – Aguirre was a player, partnering Sanchez up front and helping his team reach a momentous quarter-final with West Germany.
The Germans won on penalties and Aguirre was sent off.
Standing behind him, watching on absorbed, was Guillermo Ochoa, now a seasoned 40 years of age and selected as much for his stature and experience as his expertise in nets.
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This is the goalkeeping legend’s sixth World Cup, a record he shares with Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and in an emotional interview recently he explained why he plans to retire from the game post-tournament.
“The Mexican national team has always been my compass in my career and my life; it’s given me direction”
“I don’t know what my career would be like without the national team. And now that the national team is ending, I don’t see any more meaning in football. I don’t see any more meaning in continuing to play.”
Guillermo Ochoa honours roll
CONCACAF Gold Cup winner 2009. 2011, 2015, 2019. 2023, 2025
Copa America Best Goalkeeper 2007
Ballon d’Or nominee 2007
Liga MX Golden Glove winner 2006, 2007
La Liga Best Goalkeeper 2011/12, 2012/13, 2013/14
World Cup Best save 2014
Ochoa is the only Mexican player to date to be nominated for a Ballon d’Or following a stellar 2007 that saw him claim a second Golden Glove with Club America as well as putting in some exceptional displays at the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Twelve months earlier, in Germany, he has made his World Cup bow and – barring injuries to Raúl Rangel and Carlos Acevedo – he will depart the international stage with 152 caps to his name, a name that will forever be etched in Mexican lore.
These two men are throughlines in Mexico’s World Cup story, present in the magical moments and the heartbreaks.
It is entirely fitting that they are protagonists again, as El Tri writes a brand new chapter.
Cathedral el fútbol
When we look upon Mexico naturally our gaze falls first on the team, and players adorned in the iconic green strip as they attempt to replicate glories from past days. We conjure up memories of Manuel Negrete scoring his acrobatic scissor-kick in 1986, as the quarter-finals were reached in style.
We think of the fans too. Their vivid zeal.
Yet there is a third character to consider, a famous ground that last week became the first to host three opening games to World Cups. It is the only stadium to host two World Cup finals.
The Estadio Azteca is the cathedral el fútbol, a temple of the Americas. Its heady mix of altitude, heat and fervency can create legends and destroy dreams in a single afternoon and, after an expensive facelift in preparation for this summer, now looks more beautiful than ever.
Its beauty though can be deceiving.
"It's a brutal setting. It makes your legs shake a bit"
That was Javier Aguirre’s words last week, going on to state that playing before its storied stands can bring on ‘a very strong emotional state’.
It was there where Diego Maradona was assisted by the hand of God. It was there where Carlos Alberto finished off a sumptuous team goal still cherished half a century on.
It was there where Negrete flew feet-first to the heavens.
It is a stadium that conceives unforgettable moments and last Thursday it birthed another.
In a day of celebration, Mexico embraced its World Cup heritage and looked to the future, grinning.
