Soccer, the Beautiful Game

by lorena medina martínez

“Insistir y entender en que consiste ser mexicanos. Estar instalados en la mexicanidad, disfrutarla y enriquecerla para darle dignidad a México. Si un mexicano o mexicana triunfa, bienvenido, eso nos abre la puerta a nosotros y a todos los que con nosotros van”
German Dehesa

July 2026. For soccer fans, the World Cup is an event that transcends the sport itself. In the case of Alaska, this tournament went even further: Obed Vargas made history as the first player from Alaska to participate in a World Cup playing with the Mexican national team.
​Well done, Obed! May this lead to many more triumphs in your career; we are rooting for you here!

In the 2026 World Cup, Mexico reached the Round of 16, winning four matches, scored 10 goals and played with everything they had right up to the match against England. For Mexico, the World Cup represents a cathartic moment where fans unite in a single chorus accompanied by camaraderie, hope, the longing to advance to the next round, and the moment when strangers hug and exchange words of encouragement between each other, between those who never met before but are united by three colors and by a shared chant, whether in “el Azteca” (Mexico’s soccer stadium), before a giant screen, in a shop window displaying televisions, or in a restaurant.

​The fleeting hope that stirs in Mexicans every four years, through the national team, creates a moment of transformation in which fans chant “Sí se puede”, or where “Y si sí?” (What if?) sentiment spreads to every corner of the globe where a Mexican wants to win. Each match is at least 90 minutes; that time is magical and holds space for everyone… a time for shouting, praying, and even weeping together. For those 90 minutes, everyday differences cease to exist, evaporating over the rim of el Azteca, rising like prayers to the heavens.

And what happens after those 90 minutes when the score shows a win? There is the well-known custom where thousands of fans flock to the “Ángel” monument to celebrate; an unprecedented revelry and boundless euphoria flood city streets, spreading that extraordinary spirit to the farthest corners of the country. The national team’s triumph goes deeper; it is a moment when the collective consciousness dreams beyond expectations and believes that things will improve, that what is difficult might be easier.

Thus, the celebration permeates the psyche, allowing what lies beneath the surface, our worries and our reality, to rise to the forefront.

And what happens after 90 minutes if the score is unfavorable? We return to reality, and the excuse to celebrate in el Angel monument vanishes. But what if we didn’t let that euphoria fade? What if we appreciated the thrill the national team gives us? What if we acknowledged the effort and the good play?

And, above all, what if we didn’t let that enthusiasm die out, but instead carried it into other areas of daily life; into our work, into learning something new, into supporting one another, into truly lending a hand to our co-nationals, and into loving Mexico with pride, greatness, honesty, and our own talents?
​
Every time we achieve something, no matter what it is or where it happens, it will be a victory for every Mexican and for Mexico as a nation. After all, as the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” Let us not let the euphoria vanish with the World Cup; let us cultivate a better mind set to bequeath a better Mexico for our children, to build a legacy, for those who come after us, to hold onto.