u/BenidormBarry

hi guys, so I thought I’d share my experience here as I’ve just come back from Mexico city after attending the opening ceremony of the world cup.

a bit of background, I’m a bloke in my mid-thirties, massive england fan, and a proud Millwall supporter. I’ve done my fair share of travelling for football, euros, qualifiers, friendlies abroad, you name it. so I like to think I know what a proper football atmosphere looks and feels like.

right, so Mexico. honestly? the fan base here is something else. the energy, the colour, the noise, it’s electric in a way that’s genuinely hard to put into words. after the match I walked along the paseo de la reforma and I swear it was one of the highlights of my life. thousands of people, music everywhere, strangers hugging you, the whole city just alive. I get goosebumps thinking about it.

but here’s the thing, and I say this with love, this doesn’t feel like a Mexican world cup, and it certainly doesn’t feel like a global world cup. it feels like an american world cup that’s been allowed to spill over the border a little. the branding, the pricing, the whole vibe of the tournament infrastructure just screams american corporate machine.

I came over for the opening ceremony and a couple of games, and I’m now heading back to the UK. I’m not willing to spend any more of my money into the american economy, simple as that. it’s a shame, genuinely, because Mexico deserves so much better than to be a footnote in what is essentially a US-hosted tournament.

one thing that did strike me though, and this is meant as an observation, not a criticism, football here isn’t the same beast it is back home. in england, if the national team has a bad tournament, the whole country goes into mourning. it’s heavy, it’s personal, it’s almost painful. here it’s different. people are here to have fun, to celebrate, to be together. the football almost feels secondary to the fiesta. and honestly? in some ways I envy that. there’s a lightness to it that we just don’t have back home.

so yeah, incredible people, incredible city, one of the best walks of my life along that reforma boulevard after the final whistle. I came here not knowing what to expect and I’m leaving with memories I won’t forget.

to every Mexican fan I met along the way, thank you. genuinely. you made a random bloke from south london feel completely at home. the warmth, the humour, the passion, it’s something I’ll carry with me.

FIFA robbed you, and robbed all of us.

you lot deserve a world cup of your own. not a shared one, not a borrowed one. yours. I hope you get it one day.

hasta luego Mexico. you were brilliant. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇲🇽