Pressure and tensions mount in Mexico as the World Cup gets underway at the Azteca
Co-hosts Mexico are under huge pressure to ease national tensions as they kick off the World Cup against South Africa on Thursday.
So much of the build-up to the 2026 World Cup has focussed on the United States and their ceaseless controversies that it’s easy to forget that they aren’t the only host nation. On Thursday, however, Mexico will finally take centre stage when the opening match of the tournament takes place at the Estadio Azteca – and the spotlight will shine on a country which is enduring considerable political strain of its own, and on a nation which has placed immense pressure on a team that is expected to lift a 40-year-old curse.
Mexico is wild about football, but its national team has seldom performed well on the game’s grandest stage. Only twice have they reached the quarter-finals, both times on home soil, and their tournament has ended within four matches every time since 1986. Mexican fans talk about the 40 years since they last played el quinto partido – the fifth game – in much the same way that English supporters count their years of hurt.
Theoretically, the combination of home advantage and the expanded tournament format makes this an exceptional chance to end that long wait, and that has created a potentially crushing burden of expectation. Veteran head coach Javier Aguirre, in his third spell in charge of the national team, is tasked with finally breaking down an enduring psychological barrier – and should he fail, the ramifications could extend beyond football.
Tensions rise in Mexico as the World Cup gets underway
Mexico is not a contended country. Deteriorating relations with the Trump administration in the United States have had economic consequences, the government has been plagued by scandal, and in February the city of Guadalajara – which will host four matches at the World Cup including Mexico’s group stage game against South Korea – erupted into violence after the Jalisco New Generation Cartel unleased a wave of attacks in response to the death of their leader, who died in custody after being captured by Mexican special forces.
At least 70 people were killed as buildings, businesses and vehicles were torched, inflaming existing social tensions and creating a nervous political climate ahead of the summer. Over 100,000 members of the police, armed forces and national guard are expected to be deployed to provide security for the tournament. If things go south, there is a very real concern that violence could follow.
Ticket prices – which are not a purely American issue – have stoked frustrations further, with the average Mexican comprehensively priced out. The cheapest seat currently available on resale for the opening match in Mexico City costs over £1,000, with seats anywhere near the field far higher. With economic inequality a key factor in the broader sense of disquiet, the boundless greed put on display by the World Cup has been distinctly unhelpful.
A strong showing by the national side, who face South Africa on Thursday in a replay of the opening match of the 2010 World Cup, could calm tensions for a little while. A group stage exit, however, could prove problematic in a manner that extends beyond the football field.
Such concerns only serve to increase the already immense pressure on the 67-year-old Aguirre and a side which he has built in his image – experienced, bullish, hard-working and intrinsically pragmatic.
They are, at least, entering the tournament in fine form. Having won the CONCACAF Gold Cup last year, they are unbeaten in their eight matches in 2026 and their three warm-up games produced three victories – an impressive 2-0 defeat of Ghana, a rather narrower 1-0 win over Australia, and a 5-1 dismantling of Serbia. Expectations are soaring. The fifth game is now a minimum requirement.
Mexico have experience and a peerless work ethic - but much is demanded of them
Although they bulldozed Serbia in startling fashion, Mexico are unlikely to be among the tournament’s great entertainers. Aguirre’s team is packed with veteran experience – 35-year-old striker Raúl Jiménez, who recently re-signed with Wolves, still leads the line – and is noted less for its flair that for its work ethic and aggression.
Defensive midfielder Érik Lira sets the tone. The Cruz Azul player, one of the key cogs in Aguirre’s relentless machine, described himself as a “soldier ready for war” in the build-up, and said after draws against Portugal and Belgium in the spring that “anyone who wants to come to the Azteca and win is going to leave dead.”
South Africa will hope that Lira is being less than literal, but they will certainly find themselves up against a side whose tireless pressing and defensive solidity – they have conceded just two goals in their eight friendly matches since the turn of the year – should make them very difficult to beat. The question is how they will handle the weight of expectation foisted on them by a frustrated yet demanding fanbase.
There is at least one Mexican player who could turn some heads on Thursday evening: 17-year-old Gilberto Mora, the youngest player at the World Cup, a fearless attacking midfielder whose fast feet and thrilling ball-carrying skills have already made him a sensation in his home country.
It’s not clear whether Aguirre, a lifelong pragmatist who plainly values experience, will start the callow but exciting Mora on Thursday, but he will almost certainly play some role in proceedings. Barcelona and Manchester United are supposedly among the sides keeping track of his progress, although he recently signed a new three-year contract with his club side Tijuana.
Aside from the precocious Mora, expect hard graft from a side which should have enough quality to force its way out of a relatively modest Group A, especially given that they appear to be handling the pressure well based on their performances in the warm-up matches and will have fervid home support at their back.
Should South Africa flip the script, however, as they did to a certain extent 16 years ago when Siphiwe Tshabalala’s screamer earned his side a somewhat surprising 1-1 draw in Johannesburg, then the home fans may not be quite so supportive. Mexico simply must make that elusive fifth game a reality, for a whole host of reasons. Failure on home soil is simply not an option.