Reports say fan zones and public squares in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey have attracted large crowds. In cartel-affected communities, however, supporters have reportedly abandoned the traditional rituals of tournament football: packed restaurants, street celebrations and late-night gatherings.
In Culiacán, restaurant owner José Miguel Taniyama had hoped the tournament would revive trade. Instead, the opening match reportedly drew only a handful of customers, with later crowds still leaving soon after the final whistle. In Poza Rica, business owner Guillermo Nunez described streets that emptied after Mexico played, reflecting a wider fear of being outside at night.
The issue is not a lack of football passion. It is the cost of expressing it publicly.
President Claudia Sheinbaum has presented a much brighter national picture, saying people are “happy, super happy” and that Mexico is showing the world “joy, happiness and excitement”.
That optimism may be visible in the major host cities, where official fan zones offer a carefully managed image of celebration. But the experience is far less uniform in regions affected by shootings, disappearances and criminal control. A national tournament can create a shared identity, yet insecurity continues to divide how that identity is lived.
In Matamoros, maquila worker Josías Ramírez offered a more complicated view, saying “people involved in organised crime sit down to watch football”. Even where matches briefly interrupt violence, he added, fear remains part of everyday life.
The next Mexico fixture will bring another chance for public celebration, but also another measure of whether supporters feel safe enough to gather. The tournament’s lasting image may not be the size of the fan zones, but the communities where fans still watch behind locked doors.