Mexico beat Ecuador on Tuesday night and turned World Cup matches in Mexico City into a citywide celebration. The win gave Mexico its first knockout victory since 1986 and set up a last-16 tie with England.
About 1.4 million people were estimated to have watched on outdoor screens across Mexico City. A vicious pre-match storm delayed kick-off by an hour, but Francisco still sounded certain walking along Avenida 5 de Mayo: "We feel we are going to win" and "It’s going to be difficult but we are all very motivated. Mexico will play a game like the previous one and they are going to beat England."
Mexico City crowds and Principia
Earlier at this World Cup, Mexico’s first match drew about 400,000 people to outdoor viewing areas. By Tuesday night, the scale had more than tripled. The response matched the appetite around El Tri, whose shirt had outsold every other shirt at this World Cup before Mexico sealed the last-16 tie with England.
Principia, from Quintana Roo on the Yucatán peninsula, walked around the perimeter of the Fifa fan festival in the Zócalo while taking in the atmosphere before the screening of Spain's match with Austria. "It’s just been so exhilarating to see our team win on Mexican soil" and "It’s been heaps and heaps of people, happy as can be. There’s such beauty in seeing families out there celebrating and cheering for them."
Charles, Angie, and The Azteca
That mood has carried toward the Estadio Azteca, where England will arrive for the next test. Charles, walking past the Zócalo with Angie, called it plain: "Playing there is pure energy" and "The Azteca has something magical. It brings us a lot of luck. The energy in there, the vibe, it’s just incredible."
Angie added: "But wherever we watch, the great thing about Mexicans is that it seems we all know each other" and "On the day of the game, we are all family." Thomas Tuchel had already urged parents to let kids stay up for the Mexico game, a sign of how far this one had travelled beyond Mexico City.
The noise around Sunday is obvious. The harder question is whether Mexico can make the Azteca feel as heavy for England as it has for supporters packing outdoor screens, after four people were killed in a crush and dozens were trapped during the street viewing events.
