{"id":357334,"date":"2026-06-12T04:36:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T04:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/357334\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T04:36:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T04:36:13","slug":"fans-rally-around-mexicos-world-cup-opener-a-borderland-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/357334\/","title":{"rendered":"Fans rally around Mexico\u2019s World Cup opener: A borderland celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>A fan wearing a luchador mask waves the flags of Mexico and Argentina. (Photo by Alejandro Maciel \/ Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n

Mexico\u2019s World Cup <\/a>opener against South Africa turned into a full-blown street party in Tijuana, where more than 5,000 people packed Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n\u2014not just to watch a game, but to believe, once again, that this might finally be the year El Tri breaks past the Round of 16.<\/p>\n

By 9 a.m., caravans of cars draped in Mexican flags were already streaming into downtown, making their way to the Fut Fest set up in the heart of the city. It felt like a pilgrimage. For a few hours, at least, Tijuana\u2014grappling with violence and daily tensions\u2014pressed pause.<\/p>\n

Soccer took over. So did the noise, the color, the release.<\/p>\n

The opening ceremony was brief, but charged. Fans sang the Mexican national anthem with the kind of emotion usually reserved for their Independence Day. Flags rippled overhead, jerseys glowed green under the sun, and for a moment, everything felt unified.<\/p>\n

Then the ball started rolling.<\/p>\n

Mexico came out sharp, and the crowd fed off every crisp pass. The energy didn\u2019t stop at the border. Fans crossed over from Southern California\u2014National City, Chula Vista, even as far as Orange County\u2014to be part of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod, I\u2019ll take just one goal,\u201d said Javier Mart\u00ednez, originally from Michoac\u00e1n and now living in National City. He had already told his landscaping clients he wouldn\u2019t be working Thursday.<\/p>\n

As it turned out, that was all he needed. Eight minutes in, Mexico struck. A defensive lapse by Sphephelo Sithole, forced by Mexico\u2019s high press, left the ball loose at the edge of the box. Juli\u00e1n Qui\u00f1ones pounced and fired a powerful right-footed shot into the net. 1\u20130. <\/p>\n

\"Crowds<\/a>Fans hold a flag aloft on Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n during the watch party for Mexico\u2019s match against South Africa in the World Cup on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Alejandro Maciel\/Times of San Diego).<\/p>\n

The roar in Tijuana was instant, overwhelming.<\/p>\n

Among the crowd was Martha Almeraz, a commercial real estate sales executive from Orange County, who had driven down with friends from Santa Ana early that morning. \u201cI love Mexico. I love being Mexican,\u201d she said, eyes locked on the giant screen.<\/p>\n

The first yellow card of the tournament came in the 16th minute, when Teboho Mokoena got burned by \u00c1lvaro Fidalgo and paid the price. Mexico controlled the game from there. South Africa managed little more than a scattered header, while Mexico pushed forward\u2014especially down Israel Reyes\u2019 flank.<\/p>\n

Just before halftime, they nearly doubled the lead. Brian Guti\u00e9rrez set up Qui\u00f1ones again, but his shot slammed off the left post.<\/p>\n

Back on Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n, the now-familiar chant echoed through downtown: ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9, ol\u00e9\u2014each pass fueling the rhythm.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the best I\u2019ve seen them play,\u201d said Javier Gonz\u00e1lez, an aerospace engineer originally from Tijuana, now living in Chula Vista. Then, almost on cue, came the doubt: \u201cSame old story, though \u2026 they play like never before, and then lose like always.\u201d<\/p>\n

History lingers over every Mexico match. The team has only made it past the Round of 16 twice\u20141970 and 1986, both on home soil. With the tournament now expanded to 48 teams, the path looks a bit more forgiving. Still, nobody\u2019s getting ahead of themselves.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst, we\u2019ve got to deal with South Korea,\u201d Gerardo Espinoza told his wife Cristina, both wrapped in Mexican flags among the crowd.<\/p>\n

The second half brought tension. Mexico eased off, and South Africa\u2014despite being down to ten men after one red card\u2014managed a few dangerous moments. Possession no longer meant control.<\/p>\n

\"Crowds<\/a>The scene on Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n during Mexico\u2019s win over South Africa in the World Cup on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Alejandro Maciel\/Times of San Diego).<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re playing well, but I\u2019m not sold,\u201d said Gael Ariz\u00e1bal, beer in hand, suddenly a coach among fans. \u201cCoach Javier Aguirre needs to make changes.\u201d<\/p>\n

He did. Luis Ch\u00e1vez and Gilberto Mora came on\u2014and almost immediately made an impact. Roberto Alvarado delivered a pinpoint cross, and Ra\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez met it with a clean header. <\/p>\n

Now it was 2\u20130. Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n erupted.<\/p>\n

With the lead more comfortable, Mexico rotated in fresh legs: Edson \u00c1lvarez, Alexis Vega, Armando Gonz\u00e1lez. But there was still late drama.<\/p>\n

In the 81st minute, referee Wilton Sampaio went to a video review and sent off another South African player, leaving them with nine. Then, deep into stoppage time, Mexico defender C\u00e9sar Montes saw red after a late, heavy challenge as the last man back.<\/p>\n

That one didn\u2019t sit well.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s going to hurt us against South Korea,\u201d Mart\u00ednez warned from the crowd.<\/p>\n

Finally, the whistle blew.<\/p>\n

People jumped, hugged, waved flags. Avenida Revoluci\u00f3n turned into a sea of green, flowing toward Zona R\u00edo, where the celebration stretched into the afternoon and beyond.<\/p>\n

Because on the border, soccer isn\u2019t just watched\u2014it\u2019s lived, carried across, and shared.<\/p>\n

\"EightGenerations of fans came out to support Mexico at a Mission Beach watch party for the 2026 World Cup, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)\"DozensFans, many of them wearing gear to support Mexico, line up near the beach for a watch party as the 2026 World Cup opened on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)\"AA man holds South Africa\u2019s flag, while another man with the Mexican flag painted on his chest stands behind him at the 2026 World Cup watch party at Belmont Park on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)\"AWhen your team is winning, why not dance? A boy does just that at a 2026 World Cup Belmont Park watch party, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)\"A2026 World Cup, June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)\"TheFans in line outside the stage area at FIT Social for the 2026 World Cup watch party on June 11, 2026. (Photo by Adrian Childress\/Times of San Diego)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A fan wearing a luchador mask waves the flags of Mexico and Argentina. (Photo by Alejandro Maciel \/…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":357335,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[15392,9974,2457,5119,74,76,75,14318],"class_list":["post-357334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-2026-world-cup","tag-chula-vista","tag-mexico","tag-national-city","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news","tag-u-s-mexico-border"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357334"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357334\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/357335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}