The real triumph the World Cup left us

When Raúl Jiménez scored the goal, millions of Mexicans jumped out of our seats at the same moment. In that instant, no one asked who their neighbor had voted for. It didn’t matter whether they were a business owner or a construction worker, whether they lived in Monterrey or Chiapas, whether they were dark-skinned or white, whether they were left-wing or right-wing. For a few seconds, we were simply Mexicans. And perhaps that’s the greatest lesson this World Cup left us.

Yes, Mexico was eliminated. Every sporting defeat hurts. We were left with the hope of advancing further, of living another magical night. And yet, while the scoreboard put an end to that dream, something much more important happened: over the course of a few weeks, we remembered that this country can come together.

It had been a long time since we’d seen ourselves like this!

The streets filled with flags again. Whole families gathered in front of a television. Strangers hugged each other after a goal. In plazas, restaurants, airports, and stadiums, a feeling that seemed forgotten was in the air: the pride of belonging to the same country.

And that is no small thing!

Mexico has lived through deep political and social polarization over the past seven years. From positions of power, a narrative took hold that divides citizens into the good and the bad, between those who make up “the people” and those considered “adversaries,” between those who supposedly deserve and those who supposedly embody privilege. Terms like “fifí” (snobby) or “aspiracionista” (social climber), used disparagingly from the presidential podium, reinforced the idea that wanting to better oneself, start a business, invest, or prosper was cause for suspicion.

A society does not progress by sowing resentment, nor by oversimplifying reality. It’s just as absurd to say “the poor are poor because they choose to be” as it is to claim that poor people exist simply because rich people exist. The country’s prosperity will never depend on pitting Mexicans against one another: it will depend on creating opportunities, strengthening institutions, guaranteeing security, justice, education, and freedom so that each person can pursue their own life project.

The problem is that if, day after day, we feed the narrative that our neighbor is the enemy, we end up forgetting something fundamental: before being supporters of a political party, we are fellow countrymen.

That’s why this national team moved us so deeply! Not only because of the soccer, but because it represented exactly what Mexico needs: a young generation, full of hope and free of hang-ups.

There was Gilberto Mora, just 17 years old, becoming one of the youngest players ever to play in a knockout match at a World Cup. There was Julián Quiñones, Colombian by birth and Mexican by choice, showing that identity is also built through commitment, hard work, and love for a nation. And there was Raúl Jiménez, who after suffering a skull fracture in 2020 and facing a recovery many thought impossible, put on the national jersey again to remind us that resilience is also part of the game.

They represent something much bigger than a result. They represent hope. They represent effort. They represent the certainty that Mexican talent exists when given the chance to flourish.

Yes, England was a superior opponent. It has a centuries-old soccer tradition, well-established sporting structures, and a school of play matured over generations. Mexico still has a way to go.

Nations mature too. Their institutions mature. Their democracies mature. Their citizens mature. And Mexico is not, and will not be, the exception.

There were, of course, regrettable incidents. Some fans tried to disrupt visiting teams during their training camps, and others took part in acts of aggression that embarrassed many Mexicans. That behavior must be condemned without qualification, but it cannot define us either.

The real Mexico is something else. It’s the one that welcomes a foreigner with a plate of food and a smile. It’s the one that turns a visitor into a friend. It’s the one that makes its own whoever chooses to live here.

It’s no coincidence that millions of people from all over the world choose Mexico to settle down, start a family, or begin a new life. Our hospitality isn’t a tourism strategy: it’s part of who we are.

Here, we still believe that where there’s food for four, there’s food for five. Here, we still find room for one more. Here, we still understand that joy is meant to be shared. And maybe that’s why it hurts so much that for years they’ve tried to convince us we should distrust one another.

Mexico isn’t just the news about violence, corruption, or organized crime. It’s also the person who opens their business before sunrise. It’s the mother who works miracles to raise her children. It’s the young person who studies and works at the same time. It’s whoever starts a business, whoever produces, whoever innovates, whoever helps their neighbor when needed, and whoever always finds a reason to smile, even in the hardest moments.

That is the Mexico that is rarely talked about! And it’s probably the greater Mexico.

Now that the World Cup is over for us, let’s not let that sense of belonging to the same team end too. Let’s hold on to that unity. Not to stop demanding accountability. No — quite the opposite. Let’s hold on to it so we can together demand a nation where security stops being a privilege, where the families of the thousands of missing get truth and justice, and where the State once again fulfills its most basic obligation: protecting the life, liberty, and property of all its citizens.

Because a divided people can hardly hold power accountable. A united people, on the other hand, can redirect the course of its history.

The greatest triumph this World Cup left us wasn’t a sporting one: it was reminding us that we’re still capable of embracing each other, feeling moved together, and dreaming together. And if we’re capable of uniting over a ball, then surely we can unite to build a better Mexico!