The thunderous cry rings out over a crowd gathered in front of a television propped up on plastic tables and past a maze of vendors lining a bustling working-class neighborhood in downtown Mexico City. It echoes over fans across the Latin American nation, who roar as they watch Mexico’s national team win another match in the FIFA World Cup with eyes glued to screens set up in plazas, below highway underpasses and tucked away in taco stands.
Priced out of stadium tickets to the tournament their country is hosting alongside the U.S. and Canada, many Mexicans are reclaiming the event and staging their own celebrations on the streets.
“Honestly, there’s nothing like going to the stadiums, but I prefer being here in the street. … For me it’s like watching the game from my living room,” said Esmeralda Serrato, who watched a TV in the street with dozens of neighbors. “I feel the blood rushing through my veins saying ‘This is the World Cup.’”
Ticket prices exclude most Mexican viewers
World Cup festivities in Mexico have generated an almost incalculable buzz as hundreds of thousands of people gather in mass celebrations in host cities including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey following the country’s two consecutive victories.
