The custom of dressing child Jesus images in different outfits is familiar in Mexico. The report traces the football connection to the country’s first World Cup as hosts, when a church in a poorer part of the capital reportedly began dressing the figure in a national-team kit.
That tradition has now moved into the cathedral after a local priest reportedly rejected the practice elsewhere, considering it disrespectful. The decision stirred anger among some supporters, who feared that removing the football symbolism could bring bad luck to Mexico.
The cathedral’s image is expected to remain on display throughout the tournament, changing between national colours regardless of Mexico’s results.
The gesture has welcomed visitors beyond Mexico. The report says Colombian fans also stopped at the cathedral before their match against Uzbekistan at the Azteca, while supporters from Argentina, Spain and other countries joined the flow.
Yet the idea remains divisive. Mexican supporter Eleazar Martinez offered a blunt response: “Como católico, é muito estranho para mim ver o menino Jesus vestido assim. Eu realmente não concordo com isso.”
That tension is part of the story. For some fans, the image represents hope and community; for others, it turns a sacred figure into a football mascot.
Mexico’s reported meeting with South Korea in Guadalajara gives the display an immediate sporting backdrop, with Colombia and Uzbekistan also featuring in the surrounding conversation. Whether the image becomes a lasting World Cup ritual may depend less on results than on the supporters who continue to visit it.